Pryde Goeth Before A Fall
by Leonaria Dragonbane
Summary: Kitty is rescued by an unexpected Hero, and is left with a hefty debt. Rated T for now  may go up for later chapters. Please R
1. The Debt

Pryde Goeth Before A Fall

Kitty Pryde is rescued by a very unlikely hero, one who won't let her forget the debt she now owes.

I don't own them – I wouldn't mind owning them – but I don't. Thank you Marvel for letting me play in your sandbox, there will be a few minor OC's in this story that are mine –but if you want them you can have them.

Chapter One – The Debt

Her head was pounding. She couldn't see a darn thing. She could hear water sloshing somewhere and chains rattling. She heard moans, it sounded like girls – lots of girls moaning. She tried to pull her hands in to wipe her eyes, see if she could see anything, but they wouldn't move. The metallic rattle of handcuffs and a metal bar told her she was trapped. She grinned – not for long.

She tried to phase – but every time she tried, her head hurt worse. She was still cuffed, whatever was blocking her eyes was still there, and she started cataloging other things. The water sloshing sounded big – like against the side of a boat. Whatever she was laying on was dirty – really dirty; it REEKED. She was wearing something coarse, not the dress she'd worn to the club. It was rough against her skin, and she could feel something sticky and damp between her thighs.

She moaned – God! She'd been raped. She didn't FEEL like she'd been raped, she wasn't sore, no pain from her hymen being ripped. She had been a little embarrassed by that fact the last few years, but there just hadn't been anyone she WANTED to have sex with. Bobby was okay – but she just didn't feel right about him after what he did to Rogue. Warren was cute, but too cute, too nice, to perfect. She'd kinda had a thing for John, but then he'd left, gone to the Brotherhood. Then there was Logan – but all the girls fantasized about Logan. She groaned and tried to stay focused.

She didn't feel like she'd been raped, maybe she hadn't. Maybe that feeling was from something else. Her ankles were chained to something else so she couldn't move very far in any direction.

"Ok Kitty – think. Where are you? Who could have done this?" She said out loud, her voice echoing in the room. She decided not to talk to herself again.

_You are on some kind of boat. Chained to something and you can't move. Your head hurts so you had to have been hit. What's the last thing you remember?_

_The club – I was out with Mandi and Rena from the office. I'd just finished the project. I'm going home tomorrow. What happened at the club? Something?_

_CREED! I saw Sabretooth at the club – at a back table. The JERK! I bet he's behind this. OH GOD! IF he raped me – I'll phase him into a fucking wall. Wait – no I confronted him – demanded to know why he was there. He said business – he was talking to this guy. Then he asked me to dance – dared me to. So I danced with him. Then he went back to his table – and I went back to mine. I was a little nauseous from letting him touch me so I decided to go home. I walked back and was putting the key in the door when I got hit._

_It could still be Creed! But I don't think so. They were speaking German I remember that. I don't think he speaks German, even if he does, I'd know his voice and I didn't hear him. Okay not Creed, who then? _

Her head was pounding and she just needed to close her eyes for a moment.

XXXXXXXXXX

He'd been surprised when he saw her walking out of the crowd. Freik had been sitting across from him. He'd just told him to tell Tony he'd be there in a day or two when she stepped through the crowd, the green silk clinging to curves he'd never noticed when she was covered in black leather.

"The money is already wired Victor." Freik said as she walked up to the table.

"Victor Creed, isn't it." She said one hand on her hip.

"You know it is, Pryde." He snarled. He didn't need this upstart wanna be hero getting in his way, not on this job.

"I thought it was you. What are you doing in Munich?"

"Business – You?" He snapped.

"Business." He raked his eyes up and down her body. Definitely curves he hadn't noticed before. She always struck him as a kid. He heard familiar strains of music coming from the DJ and grinned at her.

"Dance with me." He said.

'NO!"

"I dare ya, what's the matter, kid ya scared?" He could see the process across her face before she held her hand out.

"Okay – one dance." He raised an eyebrow and nodded to Freik.

"Be right back." He took her hand and stood up, towering over her. The music was slow; he hadn't heard this song in years – Hotel California. What was it about these European dance clubs that kept recycling the old songs? He had to admit she could move, and his body was definitely taking notice. He hadn't realized this song was this long. He could feel his body temperature rising along with other parts of his anatomy. He could smell a faint scent of arousal from her as well – along with a huge dose of disgust. Poor Kitty cat, he hoped she had nightmares tonight. The song finally ended, and she pulled back with a hissed "There."

"Later, ShadowCat." He said softly, knowing she heard him. She glared back over her shoulder and went back to a table with two other girls he didn't recognize.

"I called him, he asked the sooner the better." Freik said as he sat back down. He just nodded, and noticed her slipping out the door.

"I'll get to him soon, I promise, but I need to check on something." He said getting up and slipping on his denim jacket. He'd gone casual for this meeting. Tony wasn't just a client, he was a friend. He followed her out the door, he planned on shouting to stop her but he couldn't tell which way she went right away. He took a sniff and followed her scent. She was moving, quickly away from the club.

He turned the corner just in time to see the car pull up behind her, and three men get out, one hit her, hard on the head from behind and they bundled her into the trunk of the car. One of them he recognized. Dante, one of DeMarco's men, well he had business with DeMarco later anyway. He went back to where he'd parked his truck and climbed in. The sleek black SUV was out of place in this town – but he wouldn't drive anything smaller, not enough headroom.

He made his way to DeMarco's boat on the Isar River. He hated the boat – hated meeting him here. It was where he "trained" the girls that he later sold. It always smelled of fear, and pain, and stale sex and death. Victor took his share of pleasure in those things – but not on a daily basis, and lately, his main pleasures had been in the hunt and kill, his sexual needs were on a back burner.

He walked into the main cabin of the pleasure boat. It had eight rooms below decks, and the large main cabin up top where DeMarco met clients – or employees. The rooms were monitored constantly. Creed hid the flinch when he saw her. They'd stripped her down, and dressed her in some sort of coarse covering. He didn't want DeMarco to see his interest, not yet. She was chained to a cot her hands cuffed to the far rail, her ankles cuffed to the bottom rail, a ragged cloth tied tightly around her head, and he could see blood seeping though it even on the black and white monitor. He hoped he could get her out of here before the training started.

"Victor – my friend, How nice to see you." DeMarco was a fat toad – except that was an insult to a good friend. His pockmarked face was split in a false smile. DeMarco wasn't glad to see him.

"You too, Franko." Victor said, taking his hand.

"Have you seen my new prize? American, pretty and virgin, I know KINGS who would pay for that combination."

"Virgin? American? Where'd you find her, a convent?" He smiled that smile that his enemies knew, the one that said 'I'd rather gut you than look at you.'

"No, walking the streets of the city. Just came in. I did the examination myself. I lost out once on a prize like that by turning her over to my men too soon. I have learned that lesson, no."

"I'd say you have. She's awfully skinny." He said looking at the monitor DeMarco pointed him to. He wanted to rip the man's throat out for even touching her. She deserved better than this. She might be the enemy – an X-Man but she deserved better than this slimy frog groping between her legs.

"You wanted to see me?" He said, turning his back on the monitor.

"I have a job I need done. Riaz has been a thorn in my side too long. His goons cost me millions when they raided one of my storehouses." DeMarco snarled. Victor cringed, he hated this man more than most and hoped someone someday would get enough money up to afford his services to end the miserable frog's life.

"I don't take jobs like that, you know that DeMarco." Victor said.

"He killed three of my men – left their wives widows with nothing arrested two of them and had them deported because they were not legal to be here, forced them to leave their children behind." Victor suppressed the shudder at the thought of what had happened to those children. If they were in DeMarco's hands no one could help them now. Victor knew it was a sob story, to try to gain his sympathy, but he had his own motives for wanting this contract.

"Fine – Riaz isn't gonna be easy. Fifteen." He snapped.

"Twelve."

Victor laughed in DeMarco's face. "Fifteen - NO less. It's my regular rate, you know that."

"Twelve and a half and choice of my girls."

"What the hell would I want with one of your girls; they've been fucked by everyone in town practically." He snarled. "Fifteen." He wasn't budging.

"Twelve and a half, and a cut on the profits for a year." That was almost tempting – but he just had a thing against slavery of any sort – reminded him too much of his pa's root cellar.

"He's the fuckin' Chief of Police for crying out loud. Fifteen is a steal."

DeMarco caught him glancing at Pryde on the monitor.

"Thirteen and the virgin." DeMarco said, slyly.

"No fuck's worth two million euro." Victor snapped, giving the slime ball all his attention.

"I could get that – easily in Egypt or Saudi." DeMarco said.

"I ain't in Egypt or Saudi, and I ain't that desperate." He said "FIFTEEN or no deal."

"American Virgin – you have to admit you are curious." DeMarco wheedled. He had to make a deal soon – and find a way to get Pryde out – she was really messing up the plan here.

"Thirteen – in my account In ADVANCE! And I'll take the girl when the job's done."

"Deal, I'll wire the money."

"I ain't doin shit until it's there. "

DeMarco opened his laptop and keyed in the account number Victor gave him. Victor waited, until a tone on his phone told him the money had transferred to his account.

"No bitch is worth two million." He snarled. "Just make sure she's cleaned up – I don't like smelling other men on my fuck." He knew it would be rough for her, but at least that wound would be sanitized. DeMarco grinned and nodded. He spun on his heel and left the boat.

"Tony better appreciate this." He muttered. He hated working for DeMarco.

He drove to a large house outside the city proper. The lights were on in the study, and two uniformed men stood outside the front door. They nodded and smiled as he walked inside. This wasn't going to be easy. Tony was one of the few cops he trusted, hell one of the few cops who trusted him. It wouldn't be easy killing him.

He walked into the study. There were two glasses of well-aged scotch sitting on a table in front of the fire. Anthony Riaz sat in one of the chairs, a brocade smoking jacket covering his chest.

"How ya been, Tony?"

"Not good, Vic, what about you?"

"Been better. Not likin' this job."

"You are the only one I trust with it." Tony took a long swig of the scotch. Victor could smell the disease eating him alive, he stank of death. "I don't want to die in my bed. I don't want to be wasted away by something from inside."

"It's still hard, Tony. I don't like killing friends. I have too few of those as it is."

"I know. Did you go to DeMarco?"

"Yeah. Took his money too, it should be in my account by now." He said.

"Good – you will have two hours after you kill me to report back to him and get out of Munich."

"I need more time – there's a loose end I need to tie up." He said

"I wish I could give it to you."

"I NEED it. He has a girl – I know her, she's part of the deal. I need to get her to safety first."

"A friend?"

"An enemy." He said softly.

"That doesn't sound like an enemy." Tony said with a grin.

"She is. Just too – I can't believe I'm saying this word – cute to leave in DeMarco's hands."

"Cute." Tony laughed a hearty chuckle.

"Yeah, cute." Victor shook his head and laughed with him.

"Fine I will see what I can do about slowing things down, three hours is the most I might be able to give you."

"Three hours will do."

"Remember – you won't be able to operate in Munich for a while – and will probably have to lay low after this."

"Goin back home – have some work on the mutant front, don't really care if there's an Interpol arrest warrant out for me." He grinned.

"Let me make some calls." Tony stood up, leaning heavily on a cane he walked to his desk. Victor sat and watched the fire. Cute, yeah she was cute, in an annoying pixyish sort of way. She hadn't been cute tonight at the club. She'd been downright hot; he was still trying NOT to think about the way her body had moved against his. And he'd wished her nightmares, but not anything like this.

Tony came back to the chair. "My men won't check on me for two hours after you leave, it will take about an hour after that for DeMarco to be raided. That's all the time I can give you. Everything is in place, they have already traced the money from your account back to his, and they are ready when you are."

"The question is, when you are?" Victor said.

"I wish we had time for one more game of chess." He said softly.

"If you want, it's your party, boss." Victor grinned.

"We don't have time. I wish we did. I'm ready when you are." Victor didn't feel the least bit foolish hugging the other man. They'd been friends for years. Tony had called him when he found out about the cancer, begged him to do this. He had refused at first. Mercy killings weren't his style, but you could only say no so many times to a good friend, and when the plan to take down DeMarco entered the picture, even Victor had agreed it needed to be done.

"Good bye, Tony." He whispered, before snapping the man's neck. He sat him gently in the chair, took a picture, for DeMarco, and then reached out and closed his eyes. He wasn't ashamed of the tear that streaked down his face. He hated killing friends.

He slipped out the front door, the men smiling at him as he passed. They knew – knew why he was here. They were hand picked just for tonight. He had three hours to get out of town. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number he never thought he'd use.

"Xaviers." Said a cultured woman's voice; the weather witch.

"Get your plane to Munich – Kitty Pryde's gonna need a ride home." He snarled into the phone.

"CREED! If you've hurt her…" He cut her off

"She's alive – for now. I'll leave her at an airstrip outside the city, near the river. Pick her up in two hours." He snarled and hung up.

That should get them moving, now he just had to get her and get her there.

The drive back to the boat was quiet, no sirens, not yet. He climbed back aboard and into the main cabin.

"Done?"

"Yeah." He showed DeMarco the picture.

"I never doubted you. She's ready, if you want to take her here."

"No – too many people around know who I am, I'll take her with me – dump the body in the river when I'm done."

Even DeMarco blanched at the callous way he said it.

"Very well. I'll have her brought up. I even made sure only the women cleaned her, not another man has touched her since you saw the monitor.

"Better not have." He snarled. "My SUV's by the slip, have them load her in the passenger side. Is the money there?"

"Of course, do you doubt me?"

"I think you're trying to distract me with a piece of ass."

"Never. Have a drink with me."

"NO! I told you, I was seen, I need ta get out. Just get the pussy loaded and I'll be on my way."

"Very well, I hope to do business with you again soon Victor."

"You too Franko." He snarled as he left the cabin. He walked to the truck. She was cringing against the passenger door, trying to work one of her hands out of the cuffs that held her to the door handle.

"Here, let me help you with that." He said softly.

"CREED!" She snapped, he could see her reeling from the sudden movement.

"Don't move – you have a concussion I think." He said softly, unlocking the cuffs. She tried to reach up to pull the blindfold off.

"DON'T!" He snarled.

"Why not?"

"I don't want you to see where you've been."

"What?"

"Don't ask; just don't take it off until I tell you." He snarled at her. She cringed in the seat. He didn't want her afraid, not now. He'd just saved her ass – a little gratitude might be nice, damned ungrateful kid. He threw the truck into gear and drove off. He knew exactly where he was taking her; the airfield was one he'd used a few times. Hopefully the geeks would be there soon.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Kidnapping me?"

"Fuck kid! I just saved your ass."

"What."

"Those were slavers I bought you from, idiot. You were on your way to a nice harem in the Middle East somewhere. Just be happy I saw you and had the money to get you the fuck out." He snarled at her. "NOW shut the fuck up and let me drive."

He pulled in black on black, the outline of the jet sitting on the runway, two forms silhouetted in front of it in the moonlight. He swung the truck so the passenger side was to the jet, and reached over and pulled off the blindfold.

"Get out."

"What?"

"GET OUT!" He snapped.

She shook her head, and nearly passed out.

"FUCK!" He reached over and opened the passenger door, and pushed her out onto the grass. He heard her moan as she landed.

"You owe me one, Pryde. YOU OWE ME!" He snarled, pulling the door shut and driving off. He didn't even know which geeks they'd sent to get her; he just knew she was in safe hands.


	2. Chance Encounters

Pryde Goeth Before A Fall

Kitty Pryde is rescued by a very unlikely hero, one who won't let her forget the debt she now owes.

I don't own them – I wouldn't mind owning them – but I don't. Thank you Marvel for letting me play in your sandbox, there will be a few minor OC's in this story that are mine –but if you want them you can have them.

Chapter Two – Chance Encounters

She woke up in med lab; Hank hovering over her.

"What happened?" She moaned.

"You were dumped out of a truck, Storm and Warren brought you home." He said simply. For Hank, that was cause to worry.

"Am I alright?"

"You have a concussion." He said softly. She reached up and felt the bandage around her head. "I had to operate to relieve pressure. You won't be able to use your powers for a while, until we see exactly what damage has been done."

"Oh God! Now I'll be even MORE useless." She moaned.

"Kitty, you are not useless." Hank said with a pat on her hand.

"Yeah – right." She muttered.

She lay there the entire last day in Munich all jumbled up in her head. Creed rescued her? That just didn't make sense.

"No, it doesn't. It was very out of character for Victor to do so." Professor Xavier said as he wheeled into the room, followed by Logan and Storm.

"What did that creep say to you?" Logan snarled, hovering protectively over the bed.

"Just that I'd been kidnapped by white slavers, and he'd had the money to get me out." She said softly.

"Any idea how much money we are talking about here?" Logan asked.

"No."

"Fuck." He snarled.

"Kitty, Hank examined you – you weren't raped." Charles said comfortingly.

"Thank God for that." She said.

"How can you be sure?" Logan asked.

Kitty blushed as the Professor turned to him and explained. "Kitty's hymen is still intact, Logan."

"FUCK!" He growled again. "That had to have been a whole LOT of money."

"Logan, you aren't helping." The Professor said sternly.

"Sorry, kid." He patted her on the head. For some reason she suddenly felt sixteen again, not twenty six.

"No, it's okay. He did say I owed him." She said softly.

"And Creed calls in debts." Logan muttered. They left her alone to sleep.

XXXXXXXXX

Six months she'd woken up in a cold sweat, his snarling voice echoing in her head

"YOU OWE ME PRYDE!"

He'd been quiet. Even the Professor had difficulty tracking him down. He wasn't working for Magneto at the moment, wasn't even killing that they could tell. She didn't know what had happened, it was like he'd dropped off the face of the earth, which could be a possibility – remote but a possibility.

Her powers came back slowly, first just her hands, then she could phase for short periods of time. It took almost six months after the concussion but they came back. She was still looking over her shoulder, dreading those words whispered in the dark.

"YOU OWE ME PRYDE!"

She still felt useless with the teams. They needed more and more active combatants, and frankly her skills with computers and walking through walls were more useful for covert operations. She was sitting at home more and more, watching her friends with more deadly skills go out and risk everything to keep mutants free while she sat at home and twiddled her thumbs.

Logan was trying to teach her more active martial arts, and she was getting better. She was determined that what happened in Munich wasn't going to happen to her again. And she was still cringing when she heard the SUV in the driveway.

"YOU OWE ME PRYDE!"

She finally started taking computer jobs again, nothing like Munich, and her staff at the office understood when she sent someone else on the overseas jobs, usually a man. She'd started this company from scratch, and wasn't going to lose it now, not for anything.

Every time the phone rang, every time she opened an email she expected those words.

"YOU OWE ME PRYDE!"

Call it background, call it pride, call it pure stubbornness, but she hated owing a debt, especially a debt she didn't know the amount of, a debt that could be called in at any time, for any reason, and by someone she hated – except in the deep dark of night, when those words were comforting, because that meant as long as she owed him – she had something to hold onto.

"YOU OWE ME PRYDE!"

She shivered; she could almost feel him breathing down the back of her neck. She climbed out of her car and dragged her feet into the mansion from the garage. She didn't know how long she'd been sitting out there, zoned out. She was almost ready to go to Hank for something to help her sleep. Most of the kids left her alone. Miss Pryde, who taught the computer class, wasn't in a good mood, hadn't been for months. Marie and Jubilee kept trying to drag her into their adventures and scrapes outside of the teams, but she just wasn't up to it. She would drag herself to class in the morning, then to her office in town in the afternoon, then back to the school for dinner and another sleepless night tossing in bed.

Tonight she was asking Hank for something to help her sleep.

There was a message from the office on her voice mail. She'd just left but someone had an emergency. She groaned. Maybe it would be the right thing, keep busy, become so tired she dropped and actually slept. She listened to the voicemail.

"It's Maggie. A Ms. Jenkins from CI, Inc called, said they are having network problems and could we please come by and take a look. You are the only tech available tonight, and they need it up and running by morning. Give me a call when you get in."

CI, Inc. She pulled out her laptop and hooked it to the network connection at her desk. CI, Inc. She couldn't find anything on them on the internet. She called Maggie back.

"What's this company again?"

"They just said CI, Inc. They have a fifth avenue office."

"Do we know anything about them, have they used us before?" Kitty asked. She had to admit, since Munich she was getting paranoid.

"Yes, we installed their network two years ago, Mike did some programming for their accounting department last year, and now they need help with a networking issue."

"OH…well in that case send me the information, I'll run into the city after dinner." Kitty said. Maggie emailed her the information and she printed it out.

"Kitty you are getting paranoid in your old age, Creed's not lurking around every corner." She told herself before going down to the dining room for dinner.

She told the Professor she was going into the city for an emergency job. He just nodded and smiled.

"Want me to go with ya, Kid?" Logan asked.

"No, I can do this without a body guard." She smiled. It was the first time she'd done anything but work at the school or the office since Munich.

She drove to the station, and climbed aboard the train. It wasn't worth it to try to find a place to park on Fifth Avenue. She had her laptop, her case of software, and her networking tool kit. She hoped she wouldn't need it. She had two changes before she finally caught the train she needed. She climbed off the train and up the subway stairs. She was right in front of the building. The offices were on the eighteenth floor, so she took the elevator.

CI, Inc had the entire floor, and there was a reception area right outside the elevator.

"May I help you?" The receptionist said.

"I'm here to fix the network." She said simply handing the woman her card.

"Oh – right, thank goodness. The IT department is this way." She led her down a hallway and to a door marked IT. She groaned as the door opened. This was going to be a long night. It didn't look like anyone had been in her since Mike was here last year.

She was under the desk, pulling out the tangled mess they called a router when she heard the voice she'd been dreading. SHIT! She hoped he didn't know she was here, or if he did, he'd just pretend he didn't know her.

She was hiding under the desk, pretending to untangle wires when she saw his shoes.

"Pryde what the hell do you think you are doing?" He snarled.

"Working on the….OWWW…" She banged her head on the desk on the way out. "network."

"Bout damned time someone did." He grumbled.

"Who the hell has been messing around in here I KNOW my techs didn't leave it like this?" She snapped without thinking.

"How the fuck should I know, I just own the place, I don't mess with the damned computers."

"Well whoever it is should be fired." She snapped back.

"I'll take that under advisement…is my fucking network going to be up tonight, or should I just go home." He snarled.

"Go home – that sounds good." She muttered. "Go anywhere but here you big Jerk."

"Watch it." He growled low. "You owe me." There were the dreaded words, and her entire body trembled.

"What – exactly – do I owe you?" She turned and faced him. SHIT he was wearing a suit – and a TIE for God's sake, he'd even combed his hair and shaved.

"Let me see, what do you owe me…your LIFE for starters." He growled again.

"You don't know that." She said defensively.

"Okay – fine. What do you owe me? What did I pay for?"

"I don't know – you tell me." She snapped.

"Pryde you don't know who you're messing with."

"A pain in my ass jerk." She said.

"Fine – you owe me two million – cash, or a night in bed – and you'd better still be a virgin."

She gasped. "TWO MILLION DOLLARS?"

"No KittyCat, two million euros – that's two million six hundred and eighty seven thousand five hundred and ninety nine dollars" He paused for effect. "And four cents."

She wondered if she could sell the company for that much.

She just turned and finished the last connection on the network router.

"There – you should have your network back up and running – don't call me again." She said, picking up her bags and walking out the door.

"Did you hear me, Pryde?"

"I heard you, you'll get your money back, if I have to die getting it, because there is no way in HELL I'm sleeping with you."

"Hell has a way of catching up to you, Pryde." He muttered.

She hurried out of the building and to the train. She wasn't going to let him win, he might have rescued her – but she didn't owe him her body for it. No matter what woke her up at two in the morning, panting and aching and just short of a climax.

She was standing on the platform, waiting for the train when he walked up behind her.

"It ain't safe on the streets at night, Pryde."

"I can take care of myself, Creed." She muttered, knowing he'd hear her.

"Sure you can – but I'm just looking out for my interests."

"What interests?"

"I bought you – remember. You belong to me."

"Bullshit."

"Just remember – I own you, and someday I'll claim what's mine." She spun around to slap him but he was already gone, she watched his back as he climbed the stairs. She just scowled and waited for the train.

She climbed off the last train, not even remembering the rides, the transfers, nothing; just his words echoing in her ears.

She had to come up with two million seven hundred thousand dollars – cash, somehow. She was NOT giving in to that jerk. Marie was waiting up for her, and she tried to ignore the concerned looks her friend sent her.

"Kitty, are you alright?"

"No – but I don't want to talk about it."

"Was the job okay?"

"NO! I don't want to talk about it." Kitty shouted.

"Okay – I'm just worried." Marie said as she followed her up the stairs.

"Please – I just want to try to get some sleep, if I can." Kitty said.

"Kitty." She just closed the door on her concern as she dropped the bags on the floor. She just dropped on the bed. She'd worry about it tomorrow, right now she just wanted to close her eyes and hope the sand paper would let her sleep.


	3. Loneliness

Pryde Goeth Before A Fall

Kitty Pryde is rescued by a very unlikely hero, one who won't let her forget the debt she now owes.

I don't own them – I wouldn't mind owning them – but I don't. Thank you Marvel for letting me play in your sandbox, there will be a few minor OC's in this story that are mine –but if you want them you can have them.

Chapter Three – Loneliness

He knew she'd gotten on the damned train. He'd waited at the top of the stairs until he heard it pull in, and her slow tired steps as she climbed aboard. She wasn't sleeping. Nightmares and he knew they were about him.

He hadn't even planned on going to the office tonight, but there was work he needed to finish. He'd been laying low since Riaz; mostly because he'd promised Tony he would. Creed Industries at least gave him something to do. He'd cleaned up, dug his designer suits out of the back of the closet and gone back to work as an accountant.

He remembered the look on Magneto's face when he'd said he was quitting, going back to his civilian job, accounting. Erick had been stunned; shocked that he was more than just muscle and bone to order around. Toad had laughed and taken off himself. They were both tired of being nothing more than someone to take orders.

He'd heard from Mort last month, he was back home; trying to settle some old scores, and really hadn't had the time to talk, more like just check in. Victor hadn't heard from anyone in over a month, and hadn't really talked to anyone since Tony died. He needed someone to listen, someone to remind him he was more than just a killer.

The blood was getting thick, he didn't kill openly, but no one missed a few homeless bums, especially the ones that caused trouble, the ones that lurked around playgrounds looking for a kid to grab and use. He could smell them, the ones that watched the kids with lust in their veins. No one missed them, not even the cops that had to keep an eye on them.

Yes he was keeping a low profile, but he didn't like how he was doing it. He preferred being in the open, not lurking in shadows. The bums were keeping the bloodlust under control, but they weren't much of a challenge to hunt, and he needed a challenge, even work wasn't that much of a challenge, he'd always been good with numbers, from the time he'd burst from that stinking hole in the ground, he'd been good at two things, killing and counting.

He'd been thinking about that a whole lot lately, that hole, the past. He was having the nightmares again, about the ones that didn't deserve it. Even HE had a conscience, and those were the ones that haunted him, the ones that he'd killed without thinking, without reason, no matter how long ago they'd been.

He grunted and walked back toward the building, he just didn't feel like working anymore. He groaned and turned and walked down the street. He passed several bars, bars where he was known, where he blended in to the crowd, high end places with beautiful waitresses and friendly bartenders, where you could get whatever you wanted, at whatever price. But they didn't have what he wanted.

He shoved his hands further into his pants pockets, the keys to his apartment and office jangling in the left one. He didn't want to go back to the apartment; it was empty, just like him. He found a little hole in the wall bar and decided to stop for a drink. He needed a stiff drink.

He pulled the card out of his pocket, the one she'd left with the receptionist.

**Katherine PRYDE, Computer Consultant**

He looked at the numbers on the bottom of the card. She put her damned cell number on her business card. He pulled his phone out and started to dial. His finger hovered over the green button, but he didn't push it. Instead he loaded the number into memory. The kid needed sleep.

He set the phone on the bar, and ordered a whiskey.

"Just leave the bottle." He told the bartender, and slid a hundred dollar bill across the bar. The bartender just shrugged, and left the bottle.

He didn't get drunk easily, but he'd been doing it regularly lately, it took three of these bottles to get him drunk, and he would take the fourth and fifth back to the apartment so he could pass out and sleep. He poured his fifth drink and stared at the phone. She needed sleep.

She belonged to him, bought and paid for. She was his; he could wake her up if he wanted to. He argued with himself. No, the kid needed sleep. It ran around in his head. She wasn't his friend, hell he didn't even LIKE the kid. Of course, the cute ass sticking out from under that desk this evening hadn't belonged to a kid. He could feel the blood rushing to his groin just thinking about it.

She owed him damn it, and she'd STILL stood up to him, hell told him to fire his IT department for messing up HER cabling, like she owned it or something. She'd called him a jerk. He wanted to call her and chew her out for that, he'd been called a lot of things, most of them WORSE than that, and it just didn't feel right. He was an asshole, a bastard, a murdering fuck, but not a damned JERK. Jerk is what you called the high school football captain, or the computer geek, not God damned SABRE fucking TOOTH.

He signaled the bartender for the third bottle. Jerk – he'd show her who was a jerk. He shifted on the barstool; that suit she had been wearing was just a little too tailored for his taste, she'd looked damned professional and damned hot in it, he'd wanted to rip the damned thing off and take her on top of the damned desk. Probably should have, then he wouldn't be sitting here on his third bottle for the fifth night in a row. He'd still be on top of that desk, fucking her into next week. He groaned and ordered the last two bottles. He was going back to his empty apartment and pass out. Maybe the dreams wouldn't come tonight.

He wasn't sure which dreams were worse, the ones where all the dead came back, the ones he regretted, their faces bloody and mouths open as they used their bony skinless fingers to pull him down into the pits of hell, or the ones with her moaning and screaming his name as he fucked her senseless. Both had him waking up in a sweat, both had him wishing he had something warm in the bed with him when he woke up. He'd thought about getting a damned dog, but he hated the damned animals. He'd thought about a cat, but they just didn't put up with his shit for very long. A frail was out of the question, too many complications, so he curled up with his bottles and tried to sleep.

He opened the door to the apartment, dropping the keys on the floor after he slammed the door. It was the easiest place to find them in the morning. Hangovers weren't that big a deal, but he was still a little confused and dazed when he woke up, especially if he dreamed about her. Tonight he knew he'd dream about her, and the top of a damned desk. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at it. He wasn't drunk enough – not yet.

He opened the fourth bottle and dropped onto the bed, loosening his tie and throwing it in a pile across the room. His jacket came off next, and landed in another pile. He was going to have to go to the dry cleaners soon. He unfastened his pants and took a huge swig from the bottle. Halfway through the fourth bottle he looked at the phone again…there was still only one so he wasn't drunk enough to wake her up yet.

He made it through the fourth bottle, but there was still only one phone. Damn it, healing factor was working too well. He opened the fifth bottle and drained half of it in one gulp. There was the nice double vision. He picked up one phone, and then growled when his hand went through it, other one damn it. He clicked it open and tried to dial the number, but his fingers just wouldn't cooperate. He remembered putting her on speed dial and scrolled through the list until he found her.

**MINE**

He hit the green button, and waited, the grating noise hurting his sensitive ears. She finally answered the phone with a sleepy mumble.

"Pryde." He growled.

"It's three o clock in the morning, Creed what the hell do you want, and how the hell did you get this number." He could hear the fear in her voice.

"What are you wearing?"

"WHAT?"

"What are you wearing, KittyCat." He said, his body already aching, his hand resting across his stomach, ready to drift lower if she answered.

"None of your God damned business." She growled into the phone. KittyCat could growl, he liked that.

"I own you, Pryde now what the fuck are you wearing?" He growled back.

"Go to hell, Creed." She hung up.

He managed to dial back.

"Pryde, either you can tell me what the fuck you are wearing, or I can fucking come out there and find out." He snarled, his voice sounded slurred even to him.

"YOU are DRUNK! I didn't even know THAT was possible." She said into the phone.

"What are you FUCKING wearing?" He snarled again.

"Fine – if you will hang up the damned phone I'll tell you, a Care Bears T-shirt and boxers OKAY! SHIT!!" She said sharply.

"Gonna have ta change that…can't get horny over a damned Care Bears T-shirt." He grumbled into the phone.

"Go to hell, Creed."

"Been there, done that, have the T-shirt, next." He grumbled

He could hear her moving in bed, the rub of the sheets against her skin, and that certainly helped, he felt himself jump at the sound, but he kept his hand on his stomach, it wasn't enought to jack off too, not yet.

"Are you alright?" She asked, and he was shocked to hear concern in her voice.

"I'm fine Pryde. Wear something else to bed tomorrow." He snapped into the phone.

"Not on your LIFE!" She snapped back.

"Well, I ain't curious why you are still a virgin anymore – damned Care Bears would scare any red blooded man off."

"JERK!"

"Quit."

"What?"

"Callin' me that. I'm a fucking murdering asshole, not a god damned jerk, a jerk is a kid and I left THAT state a long fuckin' time ago." He growled into the phone.

"Whatever, Creed. I'm going back to sleep now, good night." She started to hang up the phone.

"Pryde, wait."

"What, I'm tired, and the sleeping pills will be wearing off soon, so please just LET ME GET SOME DAMNED SLEEP!" She actually shouted at him.

"Meet me tomorrow."

"What?"

"I need ta pay ya for the computer work." He muttered.

"No, just send a check to the office – or better yet take it off my debt." She grumbled.

"NO!" He snarled back, she wasn't going to get out of that debt, not even a little bit.

"Fine. Just send a check to the office then."

"Meet me tomorrow, that Italian place downtown."

"No."

"Pryde, come on, you afraid. I just want to talk, it's public, even has a kosher menu." He heard her gasp. "It's not like your background's a secret kid."

"FINE! Tomorrow, Donatelli's after work."

"See ya then, Pryde." He said into the phone. The click of her end of the connection startled him. Damned kid needed to learn some manners.

"Care Bears? Fuck!" He muttered before finishing the last of the bottle.


	4. Conversations

Pryde Goeth Before A Fall

Kitty Pryde is rescued by a very unlikely hero, one who won't let her forget the debt she now owes.

I don't own them – I wouldn't mind owning them – but I don't. Thank you Marvel for letting me play in your sandbox, there will be a few minor OC's in this story that are mine –but if you want them you can have them.

Chapter Four – Conversations

She woke up groggy. Something had happened in the middle of the night but she just couldn't put her finger on it; something to do with Creed. She wiped the sandpaper out of her eyes and silently thanked Marie for having those pills. A good night's sleep had helped. She looked at her cell phone by the bed, and it all came crashing down.

He had her cell phone number, how the HELL had he gotten her cell phone number. She glanced at her business card holder, well that answered that question. Fine so she'd given it to him, sort of, that didn't give him the right to call her at three o'clock in the morning demanding to know what she was wearing.

"PERVERT!" She grumbled just as Marie opened the door.

"Am not either…okay so I like a guy with metal on his bones, but that ain't perverted." She said.

"Not you, Creed." She said.

"Oh – back on that?"

"He called me at three o'clock this morning, DRUNK!" She grumbled climbing out of bed. What was wrong with her Care Bears T-shirt?

"How the hell did he get your number?"

"It's on my business cards." She said.

"How'd he get your business card?"

"That job last night – it was for Creed Industries."

"Oh GOD!"

"Yeah…anyway I left my card with the receptionist; I bet he got it from her." She said.

"He called you – why?"

"He wanted to know what I was wearing, the pervert." She muttered as gathered up clothes for the day, glaring at herself in the mirror. "Said he couldn't get horny over a Care Bears T-Shirt; I think I'll wear it to bed every night now."

Marie laughed.

"You said he was drunk, I didn't think that was possible."

"No he was DRUNK!"

"So what did you tell him?"

"To go to hell."

"What did he say?"

"Been there, done that, got the T-shirt." Marie laughed again.

"Well at least he's got a sense of humor when he's drunk." She said.

Kitty just glared at her, before going into the bathroom and turning on the shower. She had a nine o'clock class this morning and didn't want to be late.

"So what are you goin' ta do about it?" Marie asked.

"Meet him for dinner tonight."

"WHAT!?"

"He said he wants to talk, it's a public place, and he's laying low so I doubt he'll do anything. If I can talk him into canceling this damned debt I owe him, then it will be worth it."

"What debt."

"He told me how much he paid for me, in Munich."

"PAID!"

"Yes. I told you what happened."

"Just that he got you out – not that he BOUGHT you."

"Yeah, well I didn't exactly know that part, or at least HOW much until last night."

"So how much?"

"Two million."

"Dollars?"

"No euro."

"SHIT, that's like…."

"Two million seven hundred thousand approximately, he gave me the exact number last night."

"And he wants it back?"

"Not particularly – the money or what he paid it for, he said." Kitty grumbled as she climbed out of the shower and slipped into her underwear and bra.

"What exactly did he pay it for?" Marie asked, "Did he say?"

"Oh yeah…" Kitty stepped into the bedroom and pulled on a pair of black pinstriped pants, fastening them before slipping on the light blue shirt that matched the stripe. The jacket was still hanging in the closet. She slipped on a pair of simple pumps and started brushing her hair.

"Don't keep me in suspense or anything." Marie snapped.

"ME – he paid for me, in his bed, and his exact words were 'you'd better still be a virgin.'"

"Harsh."

"Gee thanks."

"Jerk."

"God, don't call him that to his face. I got a drunken lecture on how he's a 'fucking murdering asshole,' not a jerk." Kitty said, smiling a little at that memory. At least he was funny when he was drunk.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet, but I'm thinking about it. I might be able to take out a loan, put the company up for collateral, and borrow enough to pay him off. I'd rather be in debt to a bank than to him." She laughed. "I even considered a quick trip to the Federal Reserve, they wouldn't miss two point seven million dollars, ya think?"

"KITTY!"

"I'm joking. I was going to ask the Professor for a loan against the company." Kitty said.

"Just don't do anything STUPID."

"Define stupid."

"Sleeping with CREED, for one…robbing the Fed for another." Marie said.

"Well number one is OUT, and number two is a last resort, so I think I'm good." She said, pulling her jacket down from the closet. She buttoned it up and the professional Katherine Pryde stood there again. She put the frightened little girl away; she'd deal with Creed and her fears later.

"Don't forget to talk to the Professor." Marie said, as they walked out the door.

"Believe me, I won't. I'd like to have the money by dinner so I can pay him off and be done with it." Kitty said. They parted in the hallway, Kitty going downstairs searching for the Professor, Marie taking off, probably looking for Logan.

She found Professor Xavier in his office.

"Can I talk to you?" She asked. He smiled and gestured her into the office. She closed the door behind her.

"What do you need, Kitty?" He asked.

"To borrow some money." She said.

"What? I thought the business was going well?"

"It is – this is about Creed."

"Ahhh, Victor. He's calling in his debt?"

"Not exactly, I want to pay him off – get it off my back. He saved me, that's hard enough to deal with, but having a price tag on it makes it worse." She said.

"How much of a price tag?"

"Two point seven million dollars worth." She said simply.

'What? That's a hefty price tag." He said with a frown.

"I know. I could probably get it from a bank, if I put the company up for collateral, but I was hoping you'd loan it to me." She said simply.

"Surely there is another way to cancel this."

"Yes. Me." She said simply.

"Kitty?"

"He paid for my virginity. It's either that or the money."

"I see your point." Charles said with his fatherly smile. "I'll call the bank, see what I can do, I may not be able to come up with that, running this school takes quite a bit, not to mention the equipment."

"I know, and you are my first choice, but I can go to a bank if you can't come up with it."

"What time did he hang up last night?"

"What?"

"You woke me up."

"Sorry."

"I decided you were handling it just fine, and let you, but it is disturbing that he has your personal cell phone number."

"Thank you, for letting me handle it. I have to face this, deal with it, myself. My gut tells me he won't hurt me, not as long as he thinks he owns me…and he won't let anyone else, since I'm his property, so it's kind of a safety net, but one I want to get RID of."

"Kitty, he seemed lonely last night, like he needed someone to talk to."

"Professor…"

"I'm just saying – if you could reach him, I hate asking you – but he would be a valuable asset to the team."

"NO WAY!" She said.

"There is a man in there – a lonely one from what I picked up last night, grieving over something, but I couldn't pick up what, his mind is not easy to navigate, especially when intoxicated. I didn't even think that state was possible."

Logan burst into the door.

"Creed called you – last night, DRUNK! HOW the FUCK did he get drunk?"

"Logan!"

"It ain't possible. Don't think I haven't tried. Five good bottles of whiskey might get me a buzz, if he was really drunk, there's something wrong."

"Why do you care?" Kitty asked.

"I don't but if something's wrong with HIM – it might affect me."

"Logic I didn't expect from you, Logan, but my concern as well."

"I'm NOT an idiot, Chuck."

"I just didn't expect you to look past your hatred of Creed to see other implications." Charles said.

"Well I can." He muttered. He turned back to Kitty. "Are you meeting him tonight?"

"Yes."

"Shit, I'm coming with you."

"No, he wants to talk, and I doubt you'd be helpful for that." Kitty said. "I'm a big girl, Logan, and I have my powers back, so he can't hold me if I don't want to stay."

"Good point. If you aren't back by ten, I'm coming after you."

"Fine." Just what she needed, Marie's boyfriend being over protective.

She left the office after Charles agreed to call the bank again. He understood her wanting to get away from this debt. Her class went well, and she grabbed lunch before heading to the office.

The check from CI, Inc was couriered over that afternoon, and she just shrugged, and sent it to her accountant. Mike was back from the job in DC, and was going on about the new security measures the Pentagon had put in. She half listened, knowing she could pass them all without even a blip on their sensors. Her other tech, Daniel was still overseas in London working on a bank network.

She looked over the books. The company was worth at least three million dollars. She wasn't poor by any means, and the five years she'd been running this company it had grown and had quite a few very lucrative clients, admittedly Xavier's was one of the biggest, but the other accounts weren't small by any means. She knew she should discuss this with Maggie and Mike at least, but she NEEDED to get away from this debt.

Her desk phone rang and she answered it.

"Kitty, it's Charles; the bank will advance me the money for the loan but I can't get it until next week."

"That's fine. I can at least tell him I'll have the money soon." She said.

"Kitty, find out what's bothering him, find out if we can help." Charles said. This was what she didn't want, to be caught in the middle. She HATED Creed, didn't want to be his sympathetic shoulder to cry on – if he even cried, she wanted out of this.

She dragged her feet at the end of the day, but she finally had to leave the office and drive to the restaurant. He had a table in the middle of the window, she couldn't miss him. She glared but walked in.

"Nice suit." He said as she sat down.

"Thanks." She said with a tight smile, trying hard to be polite and not dump his water over his head. Just being in the same room with him made her jumpy and want to run.

"What do you want, Creed?" She said after the waiter brought her water and took her drink order.

"To be honest, I don't know. I barely remember asking you to meet me." He wiped his hands over his eyes. That's when she noticed his hand shaking, his eyes were red and puffy and he looked like he hadn't slept in months. He was wearing another business suit and tie, this time in a charcoal grey with a white linen shirt.

"You don't look so good." She said as the waiter set her glass of tea in front of her.

"I'll have the Tuscan Veal; the lady will have the sliced steak peppers and onions with penne pasta." She glared at him, it did sound good, but she liked to pick her own dinner.

"I prefer to order for myself." She said after the waiter left.

"Tough." He growled.

"You were saying." She said, glaring at him over the table.

"I'm fine." He said.

"You don't look fine." She snapped back.

"What do you care – you don't want anything to do with me, remember."

She just glared. He drank from his glass and she ignored him.

"You said you wanted to talk." She said finally.

"I did?"

"Yes."

"About what?"

"You tell me, you're the one that called ME at three o'clock in the morning, jerk."

"I'm not a jerk."

"Yeah, I got that lecture last night too." She snapped.

"You did?"

"You were REALLY drunk last night." She said.

"Yeah." he actually looked sheepish.

"Well, at least you aren't denying it."

"What exactly did I say?"

"You don't remember?"

"Not all of it. I remember asking you what you were wearing, something about Care Bears and asking you to meet me."

"That's about it. You told me not to call you a jerk, you weren't a kid anymore." She said.

"Haven't been a kid in a LONG time." He muttered.

"You are the one who wanted to talk, if you don't have anything to say, I'll pay for my dinner and leave. I can meet you somewhere next week to pay off the debt."

"Where'd you get that kind of money?"

"Don't worry about it; I'll have it next week."

"I am going to worry about it. You ain't doin anyting illegal are ya?"

"No."

"Exchanging one debt for another?" He snarled.

"If you must know, yes, I'm getting a loan."

"I won't take it."

"You said the money, in cash or…"

"I know what I said." He snapped back. The waiter showed up to put their plates down in front of them hers actually looked appetizing. He ordered a bottle of whiskey. She just rolled her eyes.

"How many of those did you have last night?" She glared.

"Five – who are you, my mother?"

"No."

"Damn straight. She's dead." He muttered.

"What?"

"My mother, she's dead." He said.

"Well I kinda figured, you have to be at least as old as Logan."

"She died when I was thirteen." Kitty suddenly felt like a heel. Creed was making her feel sorry for him, SHIT!

"What happened?"

"It's not a pretty story?"

"Did you kill her?" She asked without thinking.

"NO! My father did."

"Oh." She signaled the waiter over. "Bring me a glass to go with that." He brought her a shot glass and Creed just glared at her.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"Well if I'm going to have to hear about your sorry ass childhood, I'm gonna get rip roaring drunk doing it."

"What about your childhood, Pryde. No skeletons in your closet?"

"No, not really, you know I grew up in a Jewish household, both my parents are, I am – not practicing at the moment, something about being a mutant and reconciling my faith to my physical state just doesn't work, but my parents are both loving and supportive. They sent me to Xavier's when my mutation developed because he convinced them it would be safer for me, and it was. My baby brother's normal as all get out, and teases me about being a mutant, but I tease him about being normal so we get along okay."

"God – I bet they have a white picket fence too." He grumbled taking a shot of the whiskey in one gulp.

"Yeah – they do actually." She said.

"People like that give me nightmares." He muttered.

"Really, why?"

"You don't want to know."

"It's your party."

"I killed a few people like that, when I was younger, ones that didn't deserve it, just wanted to raise a family, have a few kids. They give me nightmares still." He said softly.

"Oh." He reached over and poured her shot glass full.

"You're gonna need it."

"Great." She knocked it back, and when she was finished coughing he continued.

"The first person I killed was my father, but he deserved it. He'd kept me locked in a hole in the ground for years; I was thirteen when I escaped. He attacked me with and axe, my mother walked into the swing, and it killed her. I ripped him apart with my bare hands."

"Ewww."

"That's all you can say?"

"Pour me another one."

He reached over and poured.

"After that I lived on my own in the wild, learned to hunt, to kill for food. Those were actually good years, but I needed people, so when I was sixteen I signed up to work on the railroad. It was in the middle of nowhere, no towns, and no women to be seen. I was sixteen, the kid in camp. There were eight of them." She knocked back this shot without a cough.

"SHIT!" She said.

He looked around. "Damn, she can talk like an adult." Kitty just glared.

"I killed them all over them three years I worked the rail, foreman thought they'd been mauled by bears or something. I finally cashed out, went back east. Got involved in a – guess you'd call them a gang nowadays – as muscle mostly. That's when I just did what I was told, too young to really know better, and too stupid to care. Some of those regrets of mine come from then, just people that didn't want to pay protection money, or who'd pissed off the wrong guy on the street."

He didn't even wait for her to ask, just poured her another drink.

"I was about twenty five when I realized I was screwing up, so I left again, went back to the wilds, but they were getting smaller and smaller. Pretty soon I had to retreat so far into the mountains, and even then I ran into people, so I came out again. Got picked up for my skills by the government, what they call wetwork now. That was back in oh four oh five." She looked at him strangely.

"When were you born?"

"Eighteen sixty one."

She just shook her head and downed the shot. Her head was starting to buzz, which was a good thing at this point.

"I stayed with government work for a while, but didn't like the rules. I don't kill for no reason, but I like to decide what reason I'm killing for, ya know."

"Couldn't prove it by me." She said.

"Hey – every fucker I've killed since nineteen hundred has been for a damned good reason."

"Okay." She said and reached for the bottle.

"Huh – uhh, you've had enough, I want you awake to hear this."

"Fine, do I have to be sober." She snapped back.

"Enough to give me hell if I need it." He snapped back.

"Oh."

"I need to tell you what happened in Munich."

"What, you did."

"Not everything."

"Fine."

"DeMarco, the guy that kidnapped you was a client of mine."

"WHAT?"

"Shut up and listen. I followed you out of the club, just – I don't know – wanted to make sure you made it home alright I guess, anyway I saw them take you. I recognized one of the guys so I knew where you were going. I had an appointment with DeMarco later that night anyway."

She glared at him but kept her mouth shut, He'd FOLLOWED her saw what happened and DIDN'T stop it then? She was getting pissed.

"I had just closed a deal on one contract, and still had to negotiate with DeMarco, so I went straight to the top instead of dealing with his peons." That actually made sense, or maybe she was just drunk. "He wanted me to kill a guy, and since I'd just been paid to kill the same guy, I figured get paid twice for the same job. It's more complicated than that, but that was the gist of it."

"How complicated?" She asked.

"Riaz, the guy I killed was a good friend of mine. Don't look at me like that. HE hired me to kill him first."

"WHAT!?"

"He was dying, pancreatic cancer, he'd been to the best oncologists in the world, but there wasn't anything anyone could do. It was fast and aggressive and he only had a couple months anyway and wanted to die with some dignity. So I agreed to do it, especially since he'd come up with a plan to take down DeMarco at the same time. The money I took from DeMarco was traced; it's why I'm laying low for a while. Tony Riaz was the Chief of Police in Munich."

"Oh." He was right, this was complicated. "So the guy I saw you with was from Riaz, who paid you to kill him but not until you got the deal from DeMarco to kill Riaz?" She asked, trying to make sure she had this straight.

"Exactly; DeMarco saw me looking at you on one of his monitors while I was negotiating and offered you as part of the deal."

"So you really DIDN'T pay for me?"

"Oh I've paid believe me. I dropped my rate two million euros for you."

"What?"

"I normally charge fifteen mil for a complicated hit; I took thirteen in advance and YOU upon completion of the kill for Riaz." He said simply.

"Oh." She reached for the bottle again, and this time he let her have it. She poured the shot but left it sitting. "Go on."

"I went to Tony, told him I needed more than the two hours he'd given me to get out of town because of you, and he made the arrangements. We had a couple drinks, talked a bit, and then I killed him." She watched him as he downed three shots in a row. This is what was bothering him.

"I went back to DeMarco with proof the job was done, got you and got the hell out. I'd called the Geeks from Tony's house so they'd be there when I dropped you off. I had seen the blood on your head, and figured you couldn't use your powers, probably a concussion, so I wanted to make sure you made it to safe hands."

"Well, it all makes sense now." She said simply.

"Glad it does to you, cuz it still doesn't to me." He said.

"Your friend was dying; he had a good reason to hire you."

"I know that, I just miss the hell out of him. HE was the one I'd talk to like this. He kept me straight in my head. He'd be the one to ask me if the guy really deserved it, before I killed someone."

"He was a cop."

"Yeah a crooked cop, but one who went crooked for justice, not for personal gain. He used me when he couldn't get to people any other way. He'd know they were dirty, know they deserved it, but wouldn't use me until he could prove it to me."

"Why bother?"

I told you – I don't kill without a reason. Most of my clients, with a few exceptions, come to me because they are desperate. NO ONE else can get them the justice they think they need, the closure they think they need. Most of the times its real scum, pedophiles, rapists, murderers, sometimes for political reasons, like when I work for Erik, but MY kills are for a reason."

"Wow, I never knew that, never thought about it." She said quietly.

"Anyway, I guess I just needed to talk to someone about it." He said finally.

"Creed, no offense, but you are a sick bastard."

"I know that. It beats jerk." He said with a grin that made her shiver.

She picked up the shot in front of her and knocked it back.

"I think you've had enough." He said with a chuckle. Damn him he was still sober.

"I'm fine." She said very carefully. The tip of her tongue and nose were both numb.

"You are drunk." He said.

"Am not."

"Are too. I'm driving you home."

"NO you aren't, leave me here, Logan's coming looking for me if I'm not back by ten." She said, and then covered her mouth. She really didn't need to get drunk, she couldn't stop talking.

"I'll have you home by ten." He said. "And wear something other than the Care Bears thing tonight, please."

"Why – it doesn't matter anyway what I wear – no one cares. I'm little miss invisible Pryde. Show up for class on time to teach, and then put me back in the closet. They don't need me – not right now, I'm superflourious."

"That's superfluous" He said with another smile that gave her shivers, but this time in a very good way.

"Don't do that." She said sharply and a little loudly. The other diners at nearby tables looked at them before looking away.

"Do what?"

"Smile like that." She needed to shut up now, the tiny part of her brain that was still sober kept telling her.

"Why?"

"It's dangerous."

"Dangerous."

"Yep." She nodded her head several times sharply.

"Dangerous to what?" He did it again, and chuckled, and that didn't help

"Me keeping what you paid for." She said.

"Not tonight, Kitten, you are way too drunk to enjoy it." He said with that smile again as he helped her to her feet. She actually leaned against his arm as he helped her from the restaurant and out to her car. He slid her into the passenger seat and opened the driver's side door.

"I'm taking you home, KittyCat." He said softly. She closed her eyes. "Or I will as soon as you give me the keys."

She reached into her purse and dug around trying to find them. She finally found them in the bottom and reached out to hand them to him. They dropped between the seats and he just leaned his head back and laughed.

"You are too cute, Kitten." He said, digging for the keys.

"Cute – that's what everyone says." She grumbled.

"What's wrong with cute?"

"I'm a twenty six year old virgin, that's what's wrong with cute." She said sharply.

The temperature in the car went up about ten degrees. He leaned over and kissed her hard on the mouth, his hand pinning her against the seat, the other pulling her hair down from the pony tail she always wore. She groaned – not because it was bad, but because he tasted so damned good. She flinched when his hand worked its way up from her waist to her breast, but then just moaned against his mouth.

"NO!" He said harshly as he pulled away. "Not now, Kitten, not now." He pulled the keys out from between the seats and started the car.

"What was that?" She asked her mind still fogged by the whiskey and the kiss.

"A really bad idea." He snarled.

"Yeah – cuz I'm cute." She said bitterly. His hands clenched the steering wheel.

"Kitten – it's a really bad idea because you are drunk. Cute has nothing to do with it. HOT has something to do with it, sexy definitely has something to do with it, but CUTE isn't a part of the equation."

He drove straight to the mansion, and buzzed the house.

"Don't give me shit, Runt, just open the gate, Kitty's drunk off her ass and I wasn't letting her drive home." He grumbled.

"Stay there; I'll come drive her up." Logan said leaving the gates closed. Kitty wasn't surprised. She knew Logan wouldn't let the big bad Sabretooth into the mansion grounds. He showed up about five minutes later, and Creed got out of the car. The two men argued a moment, but Creed just turned around and walked away while Logan got into the driver's seat and opened the gates.

"Kitty – tomorrow we need to discuss what happened." Logan said.

"Nothing happened."

"YOU are drunk, something happened." Was all Logan would say.

"NOPE nothing happened because I'm too cute." She muttered. Logan just glared at her, and drove into the garage. He wouldn't even let her get out of the car on her own; he carried her up to her room and tucked her into bed.

"In the morning Pryde, you and me are having a little talk." He said as he closed the door.


	5. Call of the Wild

Pryde Goeth Before A Fall

Kitty Pryde is rescued by a very unlikely hero, one who won't let her forget the debt she now owes.

I don't own them – I wouldn't mind owning them – but I don't. Thank you Marvel for letting me play in your sandbox, there will be a few minor OC's in this story that are mine –but if you want them you can have them.

Chapter Five – Call of the Wild

The buzzing woke her. She wondered where the darn beehive was.

"Someone kill the damned bee." She muttered, pulling the pillow over her head. "Mom, have James kill the darn bee."

It didn't quit. She opened one eye. She was curled up in her bed, still in her suit from work. Her head was pounding and her mouth tasted horrible. Hangover, she recognized the symptoms.

The buzzing kept up, and then she noticed the vibration somewhere along her left side. She sat up and pulled her cell out of her jacket pocket. She didn't recognize the number.

It went to voice mail again, and then immediately started buzzing again. She answered it.

"Bout damned time, Pryde, what are you wearing?" His voice was entirely too cheerful - and too sober.

"Fuck you, Creed."

"I think I MIGHT be rubbing off on you, Pryde. You're speaking my language."

"What the fuck do you want?" She grumbled fumbling in her nightstand for some painkiller.

"You."

"SHIT!" She dropped the bottle.

"What – never have a man tell ya he wants ya?"

"Sure, lots of times." She said, climbing out of bed and looking for the bottle. "I dropped the damned aspirin bottle."

"Not one of your boys, a MAN!" He growled into the phone, making her toes curl.

"Fuck you, Creed." She grumbled again.

"You are so cute when you are hung-over."

"I am NOT fucking CUTE!" She practically screamed into the phone, he had the nerve to laugh.

"You never did answer the question."

"What question?" She finally found the bottle and opened it. She carried the cell phone and the three pills to the bathroom, shaking all over as she walked.

"What are you wearing?"

"Are you drunk again?"

"Not tonight – sober as a Mormon." He said.

"Idiot."

"What are you wearing?"

"The suit I wore to dinner, Logan took off my shoes somewhere but the same suit I had on."

"Blue blouse?"

"Yeah."

"Next time you wear that, drop a button down, you'll look less cute, and more sexy." She could hear the smirk over the phone.

"Fuck you." She grumbled as she swallowed the pills.

"Keep that up, I'll take it for an invitation." He said.

"Fu…go to hell."

"I thought we went over that."

"GO stick your fucking head in a fucking man hole and wait for a bus to come by." She muttered as she climbed back into bed.

"Better. What, no Care Bears tonight?"

"I'm hanging up now."

"Pryde, wait."

"It's three o'clock in the morning, I have a nine am class, and I need some sleep to get rid of this hangover, so please what the FUCK do you WANT?"

"You." She wanted to wipe that damned smirk off his face, she could HEAR it.

"You are a sick, twisted, PERVERTED JERK!"

"I thought we went over THAT too." He said.

"You'll have your money next week." She started to hang up the phone but his voice stopped her.

"Pryde."

"What."

"Take off your jacket."

"No."

"Take off your jacket."

"I am NOT taking off my clothes for you."

"Take off the fucking jacket."

"I'm hanging up now." She started to fold the phone again

"PRYDE!"

"WHAT!"

"Meet me at the front gate in fifteen minutes."

"What?"

"Come on, you afraid little girl? Afraid the big bad wolf will get ya?"

"No, I have class tomorrow and I'm NOT going anywhere ALONE with you." She said.

"Fine, I'll come ta you."

"Wait." Creed in the mansion wasn't a good idea at all. "What DO you want?"

"We've been over this."

"Realistically, what do you want?"

"Realistically, I like that. Realistically I want you to get your ass down to the gate in fifteen minutes, get on the back of my bike and go to a motel room and get laid."

"No that's a fantasy, not any reality I'm a part of."

"Fine, open the window."

"What?"

"Open your fucking window, its fucking cold out here."

She glanced over at the window and he waved. SHIT!

She opened the window, "YOU FUCKING JER…" He cut her off with his mouth as he climbed in the window. He had her backed against the wall in seconds, hands pinning her in place. Her jacket was unbuttoned, and his hands were slipping up under the blouse.

"Stop." She said.

"Pryde, if you really wanted me to stop, you'd just phase." He grinned, before kissing her again. His tongue slipped between her lips, and she moaned against his mouth. SHIT she was kissing Sabretooth in her room at the mansion, the entire team sleeping on this floor around her.

She stroked the side of his tongue with hers, causing him to moan, one hand slipped out from under her blouse and tangled in the back of her hair, slanting her head to give him better access to her mouth. He tasted damned good. His other hand was caressing the skin under the band of her bra, before reaching up to cup her breast. She moaned again.

He yanked the jacket open and then down her arms, throwing it across the room. He unbuttoned her blouse with one hand, the other still controlling her head.

"Not gonna take your clothes off for me?" He growled, sending a shiver all the way down her back.

"Nope." She said, shaking her head in his hand. "You seem to be doing a bang up job of that on your own."

He chuckled, and let her go.

"Get your damned pajamas on and get back in bed." He said as he backed away from her his hands dropping to his sides.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I don't take orders from you." He slammed her against the wall again, grinding his hips against hers, making her gasp at the sheer size of what was pressed against her.

"You belong to me, Pryde." He grinned. "Now get your fucking pajamas on, before I forget why I really came here, and take you now."

"JERK!" She said.

"Ok, if you don't want your wallet, fine." He said walking to the window.

"Wallet?"

"You dropped it in the parking lot of the restaurant; I found it when I went back for my bike."

"Oh."

"You really are too cute." He jumped out of the window and down to the grounds two stories below.

"Night, Pryde, sweet dreams."

Sweet dreams her ass. She knew exactly what she was going to be dreaming about, damn him to hell.

XXXXXXXXXX

He groaned as he climbed onto the bike. Riding with a raging hard on wasn't going to be fun in the least. She always thought the worst of him. Admittedly he'd never given her cause to think any better, but shit, she was supposed to be miss sunshine; every cloud has a silver lining.

He kicked the bike to life and took off down the road. He'd gotten close to forgetting tonight, and knew he faced another night of hot and steamy dreams about one ShadowCat, but he'd get by. He needed to feed the blood lust anyway, maybe he'd find a nice little brown haired whore and use her like he wanted to use little miss sunshine up there. No, he'd go after his chosen prey.

He didn't know why he just didn't call it in, demand what he paid for, and take it for fuck's sake. It wasn't like he hadn't done it before. He'd never been shy about rape. Never denied doing it either, a frail was a frail, willing or not, they were there for one thing, to get fucked.

He hadn't told her about the women, just the kills. He didn't know if it was to keep her from turning away, or because he was ashamed of what he'd done. The first woman he'd ever seen besides his mother, he was almost nineteen. She'd been a whore in a bar in the first town he'd come to after the rail. He'd thought he was in love, she taught him everything, and he came back the next night thinking she'd be there for him again. He'd found her in bed with another customer, and killed them both. He still regretted that, she'd just been doing her job, and the man was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He drove through the streets of the city, weaving his bike through the still busy traffic. He'd go to Central Park tonight. The zoo and all the playgrounds drew the ones with kiddy lust, and he was going after them. He was trying to stick to the homeless, the indigent, and the ones that he KNEW were active and hunting; the best prey was another predator.

He could smell them, they'd come out after the kids had all gone home, there were fresh stains on the swings, the slide, the jungle gym. There had been four here tonight. Two were too well fed for him to go after, probably married men with a thing for little girls, most likely married to a girl much younger than themselves, who was getting too long in the tooth to turn them on right. The other two were in his range of prey. He took the scent and loped off through the woods. They were still in the park; he just had to track them down.

The first one was almost too easy. He was sleeping on a bench nearby. Victor saw him clutching a pair of little girl's panties, the lacy frilly kind, and he let out a low growl. He smelled the girl's blood on the bum, and knew they'd find her body in the morning. He'd been too late for this one. He grabbed the scum off the bench and pulled him back into the shadows. The girl's wasn't the only body they'd find in the morning.

He left the scene. The cops would think wild dogs had killed him, and there would be another alert about a pack of feral dogs in the park on the news, and another push to control the animal population of the city. He went back to the park and picked up the scent of the second man. This one was a little harder. He was a higher range of prey than the last one, either newly homeless or pretending to be, and from the scent, he was also a mutant.

This one liked to play with his food, he'd lured the boy off, down into a culvert, trapped him inside until everyone was gone. He picked his prey well, this one. The boy didn't smell that well fed, maybe homeless himself, or from a family he wouldn't be missed too soon from. Victor's prey had 'rescued' the boy from the trap, and led him further into the park. Victor followed this scent, ducking twice to avoid mounted police patrols. His prey was smart, crafty. He'd gone into another culvert, this one with a locked grating that had been picked.

Victor worked his way silently down the culvert. He could hear grunts and whimpers from in front of him and knew the boy was at least still alive. He was going to have to be careful not to be seen, or heard. He turned the bend just as the man finished up, pushing the boy to the ground. The boy had to be thirteen at the most, and was blindfolded and gagged which was why Victor had only heard whimpers. The man raised a knife to stab the kid, when Victor sprang. He grabbed the knife silently and snapped the man's wrist. He gave a scream of pain before Victor snapped his neck. The boy had already passed out, so Victor grabbed him and took him to the main part of the park. He left the boy near the body of the first man he'd killed and then headed back to the bike.

"Too easy." He muttered as he climbed onto the bike. His apartment building had a parking garage underneath and he pulled into his regular space. At least he'd killed, that was something accomplished anyway. He was exhausted, and for once thought he might sleep without having to deaden the pain first.


	6. Dreams

Pryde Goeth Before A Fall

Kitty Pryde is rescued by a very unlikely hero, one who won't let her forget the debt she now owes.

I don't own them – I wouldn't mind owning them – but I don't. Thank you Marvel for letting me play in your sandbox, there will be a few minor OC's in this story that are mine –but if you want them you can have them.

Chapter Six – Dreams

It had been a week since she'd heard from him, and she was starting to get nervous. He was driving her insane. It wasn't just HIM but the damned dreams. She'd gotten Hank to prescribe some sleeping pills, but they didn't stop her dreaming, just made it harder to wake up from the bad ones.

The lecture from Logan about how dangerous Creed was, about staying away from him, about keeping an aspirin between her knees had been almost funny, almost. It's kind of hard to laugh at Logan when he's being so darn serious. She'd let him rant and rave, and just agreed with him, because well she DID agree with him. Creed was dangerous, staying away from him was just what she planned, and she didn't need a lecture from Logan on abstinence and birth control.

She was curled up on her bed reading, trying to relax, her glass of water and pills sitting on the nightstand. She was debating taking them tonight. She was wearing her Share Bear T-shirt and matching boxers. She'd gone out and bought a whole set so she'd have them to sleep in. He really sounded like he hated them, so maybe if he called and she told him WHICH bear she was wearing he'd really be turned off. She even had a Grouchy Bear, but it reminded her too much of him so she never wore it.

Her eyes were getting heavy without the pills so she decided to skip them for the night and turned off the light. The moonlight coming in the window was the only light in the room and she curled up with her big fluffy lion pillow to go to sleep. Maybe she was taking the little girl cute thing too far, but it helped.

XXXXXXXXXX

He looked at the phone again. He'd tried not to call her all week, let her rest. He hadn't said anything at dinner, but she had looked tired, very tired. He tried to forget his stupidity, kissing her had been stupid all the way around because now he knew what she smelled like – what she tasted like, and that taste was torture. His nightmares were bad enough to deal with, but the dreams of her were getting worse. Sometimes he just didn't wake up, but after a couple mornings of having to change the entire bed, he'd gone out and bought some pajama pants, they even had those damned cute Bears on them, because it reminded him of her. Tonight he curled up in the bed without his nightly sleep aid, he'd decided he was through trying to kill himself slowly; it wasn't working any damned way.

He wanted to call her, to hear her voice, even if she was going to call him a jerk again, it was getting cute. She hated that word, so did he for that matter. Cute just didn't do it, and he was trying hard to find a word that did. When she'd been against that wall, her body crushed by his, the only word that had run through his mind was – mine.

He'd been expecting her to call, to try to make arrangements to pay him off. She'd said she'd have the money this week. He tried NOT to have a little hope that she was actually considering the other option on that payoff. The idea of her coming to him – offering herself to him, if only to get rid of him, was getting damned appealing. He closed his eyes and let himself feel her body crushed between the wall and him, it was going to be another LONG night.

XXXXXXXXX

_It was dark, she couldn't move. Her hands and feet were bound and everything around her was black. She could feel hands groping at her, forcing her legs apart, voices filtered so she couldn't understand what was being said. Her body ached from fighting the bonds, and she moaned against the gag in her mouth. _

_"Get away from her." Said a voice she recognized, it was Creed. She struggled even harder. She was terrified of what he was going to do. She felt a taloned hand grab her wrist and the bonds on her hands and feet fell away. She felt herself being carried out, but she didn't know where. She tried to remove the blindfold and gag, but his hands were there to stop her._

_She was moving, she didn't know where, but his voice was soft, comforting._

_"Don't worry, Pryde. I'll take care of you, you belong to me now." He said softly, and it was comforting, safe. That frightened her more than anything, feeling safe with Creed._

_They stopped moving and she was carried someplace else. He finally removed her blindfold and she was in a little girl's room, decorated in Care Bears. He stroked the side of her cheek before removing the gag, and she stared at him. He looked tired, worn out actually and he climbed into the bed with her, pressing her body into the mattress._

_"I just need sleep, Kitty, and you're so cute, I couldn't hurt you anyway." He whispered as she tried to pull away from him. He pinned her down, one leg thrown over hers, one hand holding her down by her waist as he snuggled against her hair. She struggled against him, but he wouldn't let her move._

_"Keep it up Pryde, remember you belong to me, and I can do what I want." He said with a growl, the hand on her waist creeping up to her breast, the leg pinning both of hers slipping between them to force her legs apart. She looked up into his face, and blanched. He had the look of a hunter, and she was his prey well and truly caught. _

_"Yes – you are cute, but I like cute." He whispered as she struggled against him. He forced her legs further apart and she…_

Sat bolt upright in bed, panting and screaming. SHIT! She glanced over at the clock, one am. She didn't have the time to take one of the sleeping pills and doubted she'd get much sleep after that dream.

XXXXXXXXX

_He was stalking his prey, the jungle dripping with an afternoon rain. He could hear them right in front of him, but the heavy foliage kept him from getting a glimpse. _

_He pushed past the fronds and stepped onto a city street. The carriages rolled by, and he walked slowly trying to avoid attention. He had a job to do, one he didn't feel that good about. Frank wanted him to put pressure on the butcher, he wasn't paying the protection money like Frank wanted. _

_He liked the butcher, he was a nice guy. His wife and kids were always helpful in the shop, always had a smile. He didn't want to hurt any of them, they hadn't done anything wrong. Frank had threatened not to pay him if he didn't and he needed the money. The landlord was kicking him out if he didn't get the rent caught up. He let out a low growl, but kept walking._

_Right into a crowd of people – he could smell blood, he looked around, and all of the faces around him were familiar – familiar and covered in blood. He looked around and saw an open chasm in the ground; all of the people around him were pushing him toward it. He turned to try to run, but they grabbed him, their bony hands cutting his skin, his clothing. He noticed the wounds weren't healing but he just kept struggling against them._

_"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't mean it. Let me go." He cried out as he pushed them away, but they just crowded closer and closer, pushing him toward that steaming chasm in the ground._

_"Please – I can't atone if I don't keep goin – let me go, please. LET ME GO!" He roared, screaming in pain as they ripped the flesh off his arms. He struggled harder, and then suddenly a hand was there, covered in leather, but he'd know her scent anywhere._

_"Take my hand Creed, I'll get you out." She said softly. He reached out and missed her fingers but she lunged into the crowd and grabbed his hand. He felt strange for a moment and then he was walking through the crowd of the dead, literally walking right through their bodies as she led him to high ground away from the past._

_"You're safe with me, Creed." She whispered. "They can't hurt you as long as you hold on to me." She said as they stood on a hill. He looked back. The crowd was still moving toward the chasm, they didn't even notice he was missing. He looked at the woman next to him, her face smudged with soot, her lips too tempting by far._

_"I'll NEVER let you go, Pryde." He said as he pulled her against him, kissing her fiercely. And then she was gone, phased out of his arms._

_"I don't belong to you – I just saved you so we'd be even. Good bye Creed and I hope they get you next time." She turned her back on him and walked away, her leather uniform changing into a T-shirt that barely covered the bottom curve of her cute little ass. She turned to look at him and there was some sort of cartoon character on the front of the shirt, it winked at him._

He woke up with a start. SHIT! What the fuck was that. He looked over at the clock on the nightstand. Two am. He picked up the phone. He needed to hear her voice, sleep be damned.

She answered on the first ring, something that surprised him.

"Pryde."

"What?"

"What are you wearin?"

"Share Bear." She grumbled into the phone.

"You and the damned cartoon characters, is that one purple with a bag."

"Yes?"

"I swear it winked at me."

"Are you drunk again?"

"No, just a bad dream."

"Why are you calling me?"

"Why are you up at two am?"

"Bad dream."

"You know this phone works both ways." He said, and regretted it.

"I wouldn't call you if my life depended on it."

"You'd damned well better, I own you, I don't want anyone damaging my property." He growled into the phone. He heard her heart beat pick up, her breathing get ragged. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." He'd hit a nerve.

"You were dreaming about me, weren't you?"

"None of your business."

"Everything about you is my business, I bought you." He snarled.

"Fuck you, but get someone else to do it." She snapped into the phone, he laughed. She was getting better.

"I like that one…better than the get hit by a bus one." He grinned.

"Quit calling me."

"Meet me tomorrow."

"No."

"Don't have the money yet?"

"I have it."

"Then why haven't you called? You don't WANT to pay me off. You LIKE owing me." He grinned again.

"I lost your number; I was waiting on you to call me." She snapped.

"Yeah – right." He laughed.

"Really."

"It's in your phone's memory. Meet me tomorrow."

"I can't, I'll be out of town."

"Business or X-Men?"

"None of your business."

"I told you Pryde, you belong to me, and I don't want you getting hurt."

"Business, I don't do much X-Men stuff right now, they need more 'active' talents."

"Good. Xavier's smart."

"Creed, I'm going back to sleep now." She said.

"No you're not."

"Oh really."

"Nope. You are gonna take off that damned T-shirt and put on something a real woman would sleep in." He grinned.

"Not on your life." She snapped back.

"I'm just gonna have to fix that one of these days, Kitten. You're a beautiful woman, act like it."

"Go to…"

"Hell I know." He grumbled.

"I was going to say Hades – but that works too. Thought you might get a new T-shirt." He heard her laugh at him on the other end.

"Might have to try that, wonder if Hel is giving out shirts this time, one L not two." He said.

"That would be the Norse Queen of the Dead, where those who DON'T die in battle go." She said.

"Yep."

"I don't CARE where you go – just leave me the hell alone." She snapped again.

"Nope, you are MINE – got that." He hissed into the phone, his anger rising.

"Fine, I'll meet you tomorrow, you'll get your damned money, and then I can go on with my life." She muttered.

"Never mind, I don't want it." He said.

"Well, you're getting it."

"There's only one thing I want out of you – and you know what that is. Meet me tomorrow, but leave the money behind, I won't take it."

"Changing the deal?"

"No, just going back to the original terms. I bought you – I own you, and only one currency will take care of that debt.

"Not on your life."

"What's the matter, Pryde. Scared you might like it. Scared that you won't want a little boy after you've had a man in ya?"

"You are disgusting."

"No – crude, vulgar, but from the way you kissed me the other night, definitely not disgusting." He grinned into the phone.

"I'm hanging up now."

"What's the matter, Pryde, I hit a nerve?"

"Where?"

"What?"

"Where should I meet you? If I decide to come."

"Oh you'll come, I'll see to that." He said, letting the innuendo slam home. He heard her pulse increase again, and her breathing get heavy. "You are too much fun, Pryde; my apartment in New York." He gave her the address.

"Don't wait up." She snapped, cutting the connection. He was going to have to teach that girl some manners. He grinned. She'd be there, if only to try to give him the money. Her damned pride wouldn't let her owe him longer than necessary. He slipped back under the covers. He needed to remember to change the sheets in the morning.


	7. Payoff?

Pryde Goeth Before A Fall

Kitty Pryde is rescued by a very unlikely hero, one who won't let her forget the debt she now owes.

I don't own them – I wouldn't mind owning them – but I don't. Thank you Marvel for letting me play in your sandbox, there will be a few minor OC's in this story that are mine –but if you want them you can have them.

Chapter Seven – Payoff?

She was standing outside the building. She didn't even know why she was here. She could have just couriered over the money with a note that would have been safest, maybe. It would have definitely pissed him off, and a pissed off Victor Creed wasn't something she wanted to deal with, which was why she was standing here, in front of his building, briefcase in hand.

"This is stupid, Kitty." She said. Logan had given her every kind of hell for even thinking about it.

_"What the HELL do you mean you are going to see him ALONE!" He shouted._

_"I'm going. I need to settle this."_

_"ShadowCat – you need your head examined, and a fucking cold shower." He growled at her._

_"No. Ok – he kissed me TWICE…"_

_"Twice? I only knew about ONCE!"_

_"He brought my wallet. I'd dropped it in the parking lot."_

_"CREED was here in the SCHOOL!"_

_"Only in my room."_

_"DAMN IT KITTY! That son of a bitch only wants one thing – and you are practically giving it to him on a fucking silver platter."_

_"I am NOT!"_

_"You let VICTOR CREED, SABRETOOTH into your fucking ROOM! You are lucky to be alive, much less safe and unhurt. DAMN IT. Kitty don't do this; take one of us with you at least. I don't want him hurting you to get what he wants."_

_"I have a strange feeling that I can get away if I need to, Logan he can't hold me if I don't want to stay. I'll just phase out and be gone before he can catch me."_

_"It's the wanting to stay that has me worried." Logan grumbled._

_"He's a disgusting pig." She snapped._

_"Oh – is that why you let him kiss you TWICE."_

_"I was drunk once, surprised the second time, and I could have gotten away both times…If I'd thought of it – and wanted too. Oh God – you are right. My mother's going to KILL ME."_

_"I think you'd better be worried about Creed or ME killing you first, Kitten." Logan said._

_"NO – I kissed him – and he's not JEWISH, SHE'S going to kill me." She said_

_"I really think your priorities are a little screwed up there, Kitten."_

_"You didn't grow up with Jewish guilt." Kitty said._

"God Mom's going to really kill me now." She whispered. She didn't know why, but she wasn't afraid of him, not today. She knew she'd be stupid not to fear him, but she just didn't think he'd hurt her, even if he demanded her body in payment instead.

XXXXXXXX

He was sitting on the couch watching the football game; he'd bought a new box of cigars, a case of beer, and was just being lazy in a pair of sweats and no shirt. He honestly didn't think she'd show, and if she did, well the game was on TiVO.

He thought about the dream last night. It was almost like it was trying to tell him something, something important; but he just didn't understand it. She'd pulled him out of his nightmare, told him as long as he held on to her she'd keep him safe. That didn't make sense to him, he didn't need anyone to keep him safe, didn't NEED anyone at all, and when he'd tried to hold on, she'd walked away, turned her back on him.

If one of the damned soft frail kids in the Brotherhood had dared come to him with something like this – he'd tell him to grow a set of balls and just fuck the bitch, but now, he was confused. He wanted her, no doubts about that, sitting here watching football he was groaning when he moved the wrong way and the seam of the sweats brushed against his erection, and that was just thinking about her in the damned cartoon T-shirt.

He'd never done cute. Cute was for frail pansy ass boys. He liked his women – well women, flaunting what they have, not hiding it behind purple bears with lollypops on their stomach. The problem was, he'd gotten a pretty damned good look at what she had under that shirt, and it was definitely all woman.

She was a study in contrasts. One moment she was cool, professional, a real nerd with a computer, the next she was a little girl with her cartoon characters and ponytails. He'd seen a different side of her in Munich, at the club; enough that he'd been curious enough to follow her, to see what she was up to. She was hell in leather, and that power of hers could come in really handy in his line of work. He stopped that thought right there. She belonged to him, he owned her, but he didn't want her even SEEING his world. He had to fucking protect her.

Where did that thought come from? She could take care of herself. She hadn't been able to in Munich, but that was different, she wasn't able to use her powers. Maybe that was it, leftovers from Munich, from seeing her truly helpless. He'd faced her a time or two, in a fight. She'd even kicked his ass, ONCE, with help. He jumped as her scent filled the floor of the building. She'd actually showed up?

He waited for her to knock on the door. He could smell her; hear her heartbeat racing, her breath hissing in and out of her lungs as she tried to control it. He could hear the soft rustle of fabric as she shook. She was nervous. Not afraid but nervous as hell. He grinned, maybe he'd get lucky after all, and get her out of his blood.

"Door's open, Pryde." He shouted finally, waiting ten minutes for her to knock on the door.

"Damn you, Creed." She muttered and opened the door.

"What – no Care Bears?" He said as she walked into his line of sight. She was wearing an oversized sweatshirt, baggy jeans, her hair pulled back in a ponytail and no makeup and carried a briefcase. That suited him just fine. "What's that?"

"Your money." She said.

"No – your money, I ain't takin it, now move, I missed that play." She threw the briefcase at him, hitting him in the head with it. "Good aim, now get this stinkin shit out of my face. I ain't takin it."

She glared at him, and he threw the briefcase back at her, she dodged and it hit the wall behind her, busting open, spilling money across the floor.

"There – take it, or not. Debt is clear." She said turning on her heel.

"Wait." He grabbed the remote, pausing the game. "I told you, I don't want the money."

"Too bad."

"What did you have to do to get it?"

"Professor Xavier loaned it to me." She said.

"Based on what, your good looks?"

"My company."

"You little bitch."

"What? Don't like that I can actually come up with it – or that I've been able to put together a life that's worth it." She snapped back at him.

He surged up off the couch, slamming her back into the wall behind her, money fluttering at their feet.

"You put your life – your career –everything you built on the fucking line – just to get rid of me?" He snarled. "You really hate me that much, huh?" His hands were under the sweatshirt, brushing against bare skin.

"No – I don't like debt." She replied and he could tell she wasn't lying. He leaned down.

"Prove it." He whispered before kissing her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she more than met him half way. Her hands were tangled in his mane, her tongue wrestling with his, her body pressed against him, not the wall. He groaned, and with great effort kept his claws sheathed and slipped his hands up her sides, brushing her bare nipples with his thumbs. THAT got his attention.

"No bra?" He whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I figured why bother, you'd probably rip it anyway." She said.

He laughed. "DAMN it Pryde."

They just stood there, both breathing heavy, neither one willing to pull back, or push forward.

"Save me." He whispered. He didn't know where the words came from, but the fell out of his mouth before he could think. He looked into her brown eyes and saw something there – not pity, but comprehension, like she understood exactly what he was asking for.

She gently kissed him, molding her body to his, and suddenly they were through the wall and into his bedroom.

"That's a nice trick." He said with a chuckle. She glanced around. He'd actually cleaned the place up a bit, just in case she did show. The piles of laundry were gone, a hefty dry cleaning bill but he didn't care, and all the empty bottles had gone out in the morning trash. It was bare, no decoration, no frills, just like him.

"Guess that was a lucky move." She giggled, making him wince a bit at the cute factor.

"Kitten – please, enough." He whispered, pulling her to the bed.

"NO!" She tried to back up.

"DAMN IT!" He roared.

"I want some answers, first."

"First? That implies a second."

"Why?"

"Why what? Why do I fucking want you? Let's see, one, that green dress was a knockout, two you had to wave a really cute ass in my face in my office, three you taste like heaven, four you are a fucking twenty six year old virgin who needs a man to show her what's what." He leaned back on his elbows on the bedcovers, waiting for her reaction.

"No, Why won't you take the money?"

"I need you."

"What?"

"Since Munich, and it's not sex, hell if it was you'd have been under me before I dumped you for the geeks, concussion or not." She blushed, which made him chuckle.

"What do you mean, you need me?"

"At first I didn't get it, but something about buying you, about you belonging to me, it hit something deep. I didn't accept it at first, tried to fucking drink myself to death trying to get away from it."

"WHAT?!"

"I need you. I need ta be responsible, I need ta protect you, I need to know you are alright, and if you pay me back, I'm not anymore."

"If we have sex, guess what, I'm not your responsibility any more either." She said sharply.

"Good point – I think that's why I've avoided it."

"What?"

"Damn it Kitty, it's not like I haven't known where you were, how to get to you, and exactly how long it would take to take what I paid for, trust me it's crossed my mind more than one hundred times – a day – since Munich." He said. "Honestly, since before Munich, but that's a different story."

"What do you mean, before Munich?"

"I have a habit of going after the frails the Runt cares about. You're like a kid to him, this has to be ripping him up inside, knowing you're here." He said without his usual gloat at Logan's expense.

"You're doing this because of LOGAN!?"

"No. That's just it, I'm not. I'd even planned it, before. Get each one of ya, take what I wanted from ya, maybe with Logan watching, I hadn't finished planning it, before Tony called. He kept talking me out of it, actually. Said you girls hadn't done anything to deserve it. I honestly think that's what stopped me." He looked up at her. She had her arms crossed under her breasts, and even in the baggy sweatshirt he could see her nipples hardening.

"So you won't take the money because you like the idea of owning me?"

"Yeah, in a nutshell."

"But you'd have sex with me, which negates the whole debt too."

"Yeah – let's face it. I'm a man, and my sex life ain't been great since before Munich, and nonexistent since, only so much temptation I can take, Pryde." He knew she could see just how tempted he was, he had nothing to hide.

"Nonexistent?"

"Don't get your panties in a wad…I've had shit to deal with, and sex wasn't in the picture."

"So – I'm convenient, and you own me so what the hell, right?" Even HE could sense the danger in that question.

"Now wait just a damned minute, Pryde." He stood up and walked over to her. "Tempting, hell yea, convenient FUCK NO! You are the most annoying obnoxious pain in my ass I have ever met, bar none and that fucking includes the RUNT! You are sexy, and fucking hide it behind crap like this, and then whine because you are and I quote 'invisible' and 'pushed back into the closet.' You hate being called CUTE, but you hide behind it." He was backing her up against the wall again. "It's your defense, it keeps you safe, keeps you from getting hurt because you're too fucking afraid to take a chance."

"I've taken chances – I'm here."

"Yeah – because you owe me a debt, not because you WANT to be; you don't want ME you want to be free of me." He hissed, tilting her head up to look at him. "Well, too bad, Darlin. I own you, and I ain't letting go." He crushed his mouth down on hers.

"That makes no sense." She said when he let her talk again.

"What – that I own you, or that I won't let you go."

"YOU paid for my virginity, the moment you get that, you're paid."

"You are so naive. I don't have to fuck you. You have such a cute little mouth." He whispered. "And I bought YOU not just your fucking virginity. I paid two million euros for the right to take it and you and do what I wanted with you. You just don't get it, Pryde. I could fuck you every day for a hundred years and I'd still just be taking what was mine, bought and paid for." He was being deliberately cruel to her, but she needed this, needed to know that the world wasn't all sunshine, and she didn't want to try to bring light into his dark and ugly world, it would expose things that shouldn't ever be exposed to light.

"Well your money's in the living room all over the floor." She said, phasing through the wall. He opened the bedroom door and followed her.

"Pryde. I don't want the money. If you leave it, I'll just send it back. I won't take it."

"Well you won't take me either." She said from behind him. She'd gone solid again.

"Kitty." He couldn't keep the pain out of his voice.

"I'm not some slave and I am certainly not some whore for you to use and throw away." She said calmly.

"I never said you were, I said I – ME – CREED – you know the asshole standing in front of you – I need that, I need to know someone's there. Tony was my lifeline, my compass, my conscience for close to forty years. You are incorruptible, you have your head on straight, you know right and wrong and everything in-between, places I get confused, where I need someone to say 'no dumb ass, that's WRONG!' I've started thinking, would Kitty think this guy deserved it?"

"WHAT? You are using me for a MORAL COMPASS?" She actually sounded indignant.

"Yeah."

"So if you kill someone, it's because you think I'll approve?"

"NO! Not approve, just think they deserved to die, there's a difference."

"Name an instance!" She shouted at him, glaring. If looks could kill he didn't even think his healing factor could save him from this one.

"Two pedophiles I killed last week."

"Pedophiles?"

"Yeah – one had been responsible for three toddler girls going missing and turning up dead, the other one had been behind the string of teenage boys disappearing." She stopped dead, even her breathing stopped.

"YOU killed those creeps? I thought the cops said a pack of wild dogs?"

"Yeah…" He was waiting on her to walk out, to give him the hell he deserved, to vomit on the floor something to show just how disgusted she was with him.

"Well – you were right; I'd have told you they deserved it." That shocked him.

"You would've?"

"Yeah. I have a thing against pedophiles." She said. "Especially the ones that go for little kids."

"Well, that makes me feel a little better. I just did it to keep the blood lust down, but glad to know I was on the right path."

She just glared at him so he decided to change the subject again. He needed her, not just for guidance but – well sex was forefront in his mind at the moment.

"Can we get back to the debt issue?" He asked, knowing it was a loaded question.

"Is there any way we can settle this thing WITHOUT me sleeping with you?"

"No." She glared at him.

"Well – I hope you enjoy the look but don't touch life you've been leading, because that's what you've got." She said walking for the door. He reached out and grabbed her arm, expecting her to phase away, but she didn't.

"Really?" He said leaning down to kiss her again. He could smell her, she was fighting it, but she wanted him.

"Really. My mother will KILL me." She said.

"What?" He said with a chuckle. If this was her last line of defense, she'd be under him in five seconds, as soon as she answered that.

"You're not Jewish."

"I ain't even circumcised." He grinned at her. She just groaned.

"Thank you so MUCH for THAT mental image." She snapped. He had her backed against another wall.

"Be glad to give you the full tour." He grinned, kissing her again.

"Not on your li…Oh GOD!" She moaned as his hands slipped under her sweatshirt and cupped her breasts, teasing both nipples at once.

"You were saying?" He whispered, kissing her again. Her hands grabbed his head, and pulled him closer. He lifted her against the wall and helped her wrap her legs around his waist. Those jeans were gone, as soon as he could get free enough to do something about them, but her skin was so soft he just couldn't stop touching her. He ground his hips into the juncture of hers, and her moan and slight whimper told him she'd felt him.

"Damn it." She breathed against his lips.

"You staying – or not?" He whispered back, sliding both hands to cup her ass as he carried her back to the bedroom.

"I'm so DEAD when I get home." She whispered back.

"I'll take that to mean you're staying." He said, laying her down on the bed and unfastening her jeans. She didn't say anything, just nodded.

"You know – you don't have to go home." He whispered as she lifted her hips to help him slide the jeans down, he groaned when he realized there were no panties under there. "You just LOVE playing with danger, don't you?"

He couldn't stop himself; he had to stroke the skin of her thighs. She'd stopped making any coherent sounds. He looked down at her face, her eyes were closed, and she was moaning as his fingers trailed lightly over her stomach. He knew just what was at stake here, and wasn't going to do anything to drive her away.

"Kitty." He whispered.

"Katherine." She said, "Kitty's a little girl's name." He grinned at that.

"Katherine, you don't have to go home." He whispered.

She just looked at him, and pulled him down to kiss her by his hair. She wanted to be aggressive, that was fine with him.

"Katherine – I ain't takin my clothes off for ya." He said teasingly. He did something he rarely did, he gave her the control, this was at her pace, her speed, and he wasn't going to rush things, no matter how painful it became.

"Shut up and kiss me, Creed." She hissed.

"Victor." He said.

"What?"

"Victor, I want to hear you say my name."

"Victor." She whispered. "Kiss me." He grinned and complied.


	8. Heaven or Hell

Pryde Goeth Before A Fall

Kitty Pryde is rescued by a very unlikely hero, one who won't let her forget the debt she now owes.

I don't own them – I wouldn't mind owning them – but I don't. Thank you Marvel for letting me play in your sandbox, there will be a few minor OC's in this story that are mine –but if you want them you can have them.

Chapter Eight – Heaven or Hell

She didn't want to think. She was so overwhelmed by the sensations her body was experiencing. She'd come CLOSE with Bobby, once, gotten as far as her shirt off, pressed skin to skin, but that was NOTHING like this. His skin was soft – far softer than she'd ever thought possible. She kept trying to touch it, to touch him but he kept pushing her hands away, holding them to the mattress under her. He would let her touch his hair, and that was sensual enough. He took better care if it than most women she knew. It was like silk in her hands, and she was quite happy to wrap it around her fingers, especially when she pulled him back for another taste of his mouth.

She didn't know why but he tasted like heaven, and she wasn't going to be shy about taking every taste she could. His hands stroked her skin, driving her insane, and when he slipped between her legs she moaned because the fabric of his pants was too coarse, she wanted his skin. She heard him moan against her shoulder when she bucked under him, needing more than just what his hands and mouth were doing to her body.

"Kitten, be still, damn it. I ain't exactly the most patient man in the world." He groaned in her ear sending even more shivers down her back and causing her to buck again. "HELL!" He muttered and reached between them. She moaned as he lifted his chest from hers, and then nearly came unglued as he brushed against her most sensitive area while fumbling with the tie of his sweats. He got the hint and forgot the sweats, stroking her gently with his fingers until she exploded. He groaned against her shoulder as she panted and trembled with the aftershocks.

"Well." He said finally.

"Well what?" She snapped.

"One of us got something out of that." He lifted his head, his grin almost boyish.

"Shut up." She said, leaning up to kiss him. He pulled back, holding her to the mattress with his body.

"KittyCat, there's a woman in there." He whispered before capturing her mouth with his. She groaned as he started fumbling with the ties to his sweats. "We just have to let her loose."

She could feel the pressure of him pressed against her opening and her eyes opened.

"No – I ain't lettin' ya see me till after." He whispered.

"Why not."

"Fear ain't on my menu today." He said with a chuckle. The vibration traveled all the way through him, and she moaned as her body responded. "We ain't in any rush, Katherine." He whispered, brushing her lips with his.

She moaned as her body relaxed under his, and she felt that pressure slip further inside. He moaned again. "You got two choices, quick like a band aid, or torturing me by going slow." He growled.

She grinned her impish grin up at him and he just moaned, leaning his head against her shoulder. "You're gonna torture me."

She bucked her hips under him, causing him to slide the rest of the way to her barrier. She winced at both the pressure against that piece of skin, and at the stretching fullness of him inside her. He groaned.

"KITTEN!" He lifted his head, and looked at her. She just nodded and he captured her mouth with his. He pulled back a bit and then pushed his way through, seating himself fully inside her, her wince and small cry of pain both absorbed by his huge body. She could feel him trembling, and he didn't stop her as she ran her hands up his arms and around his chest. It was fur; that soft silky brush of his skin was a soft layer of fur, and she just moaned at the sensual feel of it in her hands and the throbbing pressure of him inside her. She had no idea sex could feel this damned good. He groaned as she shifted under him.

"Damn it be still – or I'm moving." He groaned.

"Then MOVE!" She said, and then he did, and she didn't think. It HURT! – And felt good at the same time. She didn't know if she was going to scream or explode again, and then her body opted for exploding. She heard his groan as her climax hit and felt him go limp just as she was able to think again.

"Oh SHIT, Kitten." He groaned.

"That bad." She blushed.

"That GOOD!" he groaned. "I've not done that in a while, maybe never, or at least not in a century or so."

"What? Had sex?"

"Sort of – had sex with a willing woman who wanted me enough to actually climax; SHIT I'd forgotten what THAT felt like." He was grinning down at her.

"Victor, you are a nutcase." She said grinning.

"And you want me so what does that make you?"

"Insane."

"Probably." He chuckled and she felt it where he lay inside her.

"Oh GOD!" She moaned.

"What."

"I don't believe I'm doing this."

"You want to leave?" The grin faded from his face, and she could see anger building in his eyes.

"No, I DON'T want to leave, that's the problem."

"Why?"

"They are expecting me back."

"Call 'em."

"And say what, 'Sorry, Logan I won't be home tonight, I'm sleeping with Sabretooth.'?"

"That sounds good to me." The grin was back.

"Jerk."

"Hey we've been over that." He said with a thrust of his hip that had her moaning again. "Do you always worry about what other people think?"

"Usually."

"Well that explains a lot."

"What?" He was moving again, and her body was moving with him.

"It explains why you turned to ME for this little pleasure." He said with another thrust.

"Why?" She moaned.

"Cuz you don't care what I think, you can let me drag you all the way over the edge, and not worry what I'll think of you in the mornin'."

"Where'd you get your psychology degree?" She said, sharply.

"Columbia, I think, I'll have to check." That didn't' register with her, as his body pushed her over another edge.

"Now that's more like it." He said when she could focus on his face again.

"What."

"Baby you screamed my name that time." He grinned, kissing her.

"COLUMBIA University?" She said.

"Yeah, BA in Psychology, just for fun." He grinned.

"And you are an accountant?"

"Yeah, that's a doctorate though." She shook her head. This was changing everything she knew about him. All Xavier's research said he was ignorant, uneducated, violent, vindictive, cruel, and without remorse. The man she was getting to know wasn't any of those things – well she had to admit he had a vindictive streak, and she'd seen the results of what his violence and cruelty could do so those two were at least valid too.

"How many of those do you have?" She asked facetiously.

"I don't really know. Three BA's two masters and four – no five doctorates."

"And you KILL people for a living." She said without thinking. She was shocked by the sudden cool air as he pulled away from her, her body aching where he'd left.

"Yeah." He said sharply, sitting on the edge of the bed. She groaned as she sat up.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just – don't understand it." He looked back over his shoulder at her, and she saw something she'd never expected to see in him, vulnerability.

"I kill to keep the animal in me under control; I do it so that I don't go out and kill the first person I walk into. I'm a predator, a hunter, if I don't choose my prey; I go after anything that moves. It's the mutation. It doesn't matter how educated, how 'human' I CAN be, the predator always wins."

She scooted up to him, putting her arms around his waist and leaning her face against the soft fur of his back. "That actually makes sense." She whispered.

"What?"

"No it does. You told me you won't kill without a reason, that reason's how you pick your prey, its part of your hunting instinct, you are culling the herd, removing the sick, the twisted, the ugly parts of humanity, to try to make them stronger."

"No, I'm going after the prey that won't get me locked up and cut open in a lab somewhere."

"Victor, you know better, after what you told me the other night, and today, I think I'm actually starting to understand you, and that's SCARY!" She said.

"Scary huh – I'll show you scary." He grinned turning and pressing her back to the mattress. He lifted himself off of her and let her get her first really good look at him – scary didn't cover it.

THAT had been inside her – SHIT! He was huge, frighteningly huge, like every part of him, she could feel the blood drain from her face.

"I told ya. Of course you know you can take it – and I know you can take it." He grinned as he stalked her across the bed, covering her with his body again. She felt him slide into her and she moaned. He was right, she could take it, and she'd be DAMNED if she wasn't going to give as good as she got. She winced at the tenderness, and he stopped.

"Shit."

"What?"

"You need some rest, Kitten." He glanced over at the clock, "and probably some lunch, I can hear your stomach."

"You have to be joking." She said tangling her fingers in his hair, pulling him down for a kiss.

He resisted her pull. "No." He slipped out of her arms and pulled away from her body, leaving her cold and sore again.

He looked around the room and grabbed his discarded sweatpants from the floor. She didn't even remember him taking them off, just untying them. He walked to his closet and opened it, throwing her one of his shirts.

"Wear that, it has to be sexier than the damned Care Bears." He grinned. "I'm gonna go cook lunch."

"YOU can cook. I thought you ate your food raw." The glare he gave her told her she'd hit a VERY big nerve.

"Your mouth is gonna get you in a world of hurt, Kitty." He said leaving the bedroom. "Call the mansion." He shouted back at her.

She pulled the shirt on, and followed him into the living room; it was a dress shirt so she buttoned it and rolled up the sleeves. It was almost long enough for a dress. He glanced back at her and grinned.

"Much better than the Care Bears."

"You want me to stay?"

"Yes, Kitten, I want you to stay. What makes you think I wouldn't?"

"I don't know, I guess the whole get what you want and throw me out scenario has run through my mind a few times." She said honestly, sitting on a barstool watching him move around the kitchen.

"Who says I've gotten what I want? I mean I haven't been laid in almost a year."

"Jerk."

"We've been over that." He waved a spatula at her.

"So you really want me to stay, not leave when you're done."

"Kitten – I want YOU, alright. You're in my blood, I can't sleep without seeing you in my dreams, I'd like ta get ya out of my blood – so NO I don't want you to leave, at least not until we just can't stand each other any more."

"That sounds like more than just tomorrow morning?" She said.

"Yeah – it does." He said. He was facing away from her, at the stove.

"How long?"

"I don't know." She could see his shoulders shaking.

She glanced around the living room and caught the frozen football game on the screen. "Is that Minnesota and Colorado?"

"Yeah – kinda wanted to see who won, but I got a little distracted."

"Minnesota better kick Colorado's ass." She said.

"What? YOU watch football."

"College."

He growled, "Fine, a bet then. IF Colorado wins, you say two weeks, we decide at the end of two weeks if we call it quits. IF Minnesota wins, you go home tomorrow, debts over and we go on with our lives."

"You know who won already?"

"Maybe?"

"Fine – it's a bet. Who won?"

"Colorado." He laughed.

"JERK!" She said, he glared back over his shoulder.

"You welchin' on the bet."

"No." She jumped down from the barstool and found her purse on the floor near the briefcase of money.

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Marie.

"KITTY! Are you alright? Logan's pacing like a caged lion or something." Marie said.

"Tell Wolvie to settle down – and tell him he was right, about the wanting to thing, he'll know what I'm talking about. I need you to do me a favor. I need some clothes packed, just casual stuff, I'm calling Maggie and taking two weeks vacation." She said.

"TWO WEEKS?"

"Yeah."

"With SABRETOOTH?"

"Yeah." She looked over at him, he was scowling, spatula in hand, she stuck her tongue out at him, and he broke into a grin, and shook his head.

"I can think of better things to do with THAT, Kitten." He said loudly.

"What – he's THERE?"

"I'm at his PLACE, Marie, of course he's here."

"Did you have SEX with him?"

"NONEYA!" She shouted into the phone.

"YOU DID!"

"MARIE!"

"Fine I'll pack some things and bring them by, but I'm NOT telling Logan, YOU are."

"Think the Professor will send him on a mission for two weeks, and then he won't have to know."

**NO, I won't.** Charles said simply in her mind. Leave it to HIM to be keeping tabs on her, and make her face the music. She heard his mental chuckle and then his withdrawal from her mind again.

"GIVE ME THAT!" She heard Logan yell and the phone drop on the floor before being picked up again. SHIT!

"KITTY get your ass back her NOW!"

"No. I agreed to two weeks."

"TWO WEEKS, You'll be dead in two hours." He snarled into the phone.

"THAT'S IT!" Victor snarled and snatched the phone from her.

"I already fucked her, thee no four times, and she ain't dead, she'll be alive in two weeks, Runt, just not sure she's gonna want to come back to you Geeks." He grinned. She laughed. He certainly loved taunting Logan, he was actually glowing. "Plannin' on givin' her a real education, if you know what I mean."

"CREED!" Kitty could hear him across the room.

"She WANTS to stay, Runt, and I want her to. The only one with a problem with it is you, so get over it. We're all free, mutant and over twenty one here – so butt out." He snapped the phone shut. "I hope your friend has my address." He said

"She does, just in case I didn't call anyone so they'd know where to find me for a rescue."

"Well, rescue's out, you don't need it. I MIGHT!" He grinned, and went back to cooking lunch.


	9. Checkmate?

Pryde Goeth Before A Fall

Kitty Pryde is rescued by a very unlikely hero, one who won't let her forget the debt she now owes.

I don't own them – I wouldn't mind owning them – but I don't. Thank you Marvel for letting me play in your sandbox, there will be a few minor OC's in this story that are mine –but if you want them you can have them.

Chapter Nine – Checkmate?

"So what's for lunch?" She said as she climbed back up on the barstool

"Panini." He said, dropping a plate in front of her on the bar. He sat on the neighboring stool, crunching through the toast on his own sandwich.

"Damn – you CAN cook." She said as she bit through her own. It was GOOD!

"Surprised?"

"A little." Neither one said much as they ate.

"I haven't eaten RAW food since I was thirteen." He said softly.

"Isn't that when you…"

"Yeah. He used to throw live rabbits down for me to kill and eat, it was the only food I was allowed. I still won't hunt rabbits for ANY reason, and still have nightmares about 'em too." He said with a slight chuckle.

"The big bad Sabretooth is afraid of rabbits?"

"Watch it – I ain't afraid of shit, I just don't deal with rabbits." He said as he finished his sandwich.

"So what's the plan for the rest of the day?" She asked as she finished her own.

"More of the same?" He said with a leer.

"Well, we'll be interrupted, Marie's bringing my bags." She said.

"True, do you play chess?"

"Yes."

"I haven't played a good game of chess in a while." He had an almost whimsical smile on his face.

"I don't know how GOOD a game I play, but I can play." She said. He grinned and walked to a closet in the living room, and pulled a case out and setting it up on a table between two chairs by the window. The view was spectacular, the harbor and Ellis and Liberty Islands.

"It doesn't bother you, looking at it." She asked, as she curled up in one of the chairs.

"Why should it?"

"You nearly died."

"No I didn't. It was a shit of a swim, but death wasn't even close." He said as he set up the pieces. They were carved jade on a jade board, inlaid with gold.

"This is beautiful."

"You should see my house in Seattle." He said.

"Really?"

"I have my own art gallery." He said.

"You are NOTHING like I have been told." She said.

"Neither are you." He said. She looked at the board, and moved her king's pawn to king four.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked as he mirrored her move.

"Well you certainly aren't cute, you aren't scared of your own shadow, and you aren't flighty or girlish." He said, watching her decide where to place her queen's pawn.

"Oh." She dropped the pawn.

"You are smart, with quite a mouth on you, beautiful, sexy and from what I have seen, professional and mature. I still don't know why the Geeks think you aren't active. That talent of yours would cause all kinds of hell in a fight."

"I can use it in a fight – and have."

"I know – you're one of the few to actually kick my ass, of course that might have been because I was looking at YOURS!" He laughed as he moved his own pawn.

"I was twenty when I kicked your ass, and mine wasn't much to look at – then."

"Baby – you've always had a cute ass."

"There's that word again." She said as she moved her king's bishop.

"What, cute?"

"Yeah." He moved his queen.

"Why – you are cute, in a very sexy way." He said.

She moved her own queen, thinking about it. "I don't like being called cute; it makes me feel sixteen again."

"Why? Because of Iceprick?"

"Bobby – how'd you know about that?"

"Darlin' there ain't much I DON'T know about you." He smiled and moved his knight. "So why didn't ya sleep with him?"

"Why do you care?"

"Curious."

"I felt bad about Rogue."

"That wasn't it."

"I figured if he'd run around on her, he'd run around on me, and I wasn't wasting my time on him."

"That's closer to the truth." He said watching her move a pawn. He grinned and took the piece with his bishop.

"Damn. I didn't even see that."

"I know. What about bird boy?"

"He's just too perfect, Pete too. I just couldn't feel what they wanted me to feel for them."

"You mean like I make you feel." He grinned as she made another move, and he quickly took her knight.

"You are good at chess, and yeah…I've never felt like this, I mean – you're the exact opposite of everything I've ever been told to look for, but I don't know – I feel safe with you."

"SAFE! That's a surprise. I was expecting – I don't know, looking for adventure, danger even, but not safe."

"It's strange, but since Munich, I've felt like I had a safety net, a security blanket that wouldn't let me get hurt."

"I guess in a way, you have. I've kept an eye on ya, made sure you were okay." He moved his queen again. "Checkmate."

"What?"

"Checkmate, I win." His timing was good; there was a knock on the door.

"It's the girl with the skin." He said. "I'll be in my office." He stood up and walked down the hall. Kitty walked to the door and opened it. Marie stood there with a bag.

"Logan's downstairs. If I'm not back in twenty minutes he's coming in after me." Marie said.

"Victor's in his office." Kitty said, as she took the bag. Marie walked in and looked around.

"Wow – NICE place. Damn – not what I'd expect from Sabretooth." She said.

"There's a lot about him you wouldn't expect." She said softly, almost wistfully.

"That GOOD huh?"

"Not just THAT!"

"So you DID sleep with him."

"Sleep, what's that?" She just grinned at her friend.

"So he didn't want the money?" Marie said, pointing to the mess by the TV.

"No,

"I don't want to know. You are REALLY staying here for two weeks?"

"Or until we get sick of each other."

"Honestly how long do you think that will take?"

"For me – I don't know, twenty - thirty years." She said softly, hoping his ears weren't picking them up. She had a problem – a big problem and he had super sharp hearing and a healing factor.

"You are insane, Kitty." Marie said, glancing at her watch. "I'd better go, I don't want Logan coming up here and wrecking the place." Kitty hugged her and closed the door behind her.

"If there are any of those damned cartoon T-shirts in there, I'm burning them." He said from the office door.

"I imagine there are, I do sleep in them." She said.

"Oh good – I'll actually get to use the fireplace." He grinned, "Besides, you ain't sleepin in anything but ME while you are here."

"Isn't that the other way around."

He let out a loud laugh. "DAMN, Pryde, you're actually learning to talk dirty."

She grinned back at him. He crooked his finger at her.

"Come here." He whispered.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Pryde – come here." She walked down the hall, bag forgotten on the floor by the door. His eyes were mesmerizing, and before she knew it she was standing in front of him. He reached down and tilted her chin up to look at him.

"Twenty to thirty years?" She blushed.

"I had to say something."

"I coulda smelled if you were lying." He whispered, kissing her gently.

"You know, I could walk out of here at any time."

"I know. I ain't holdin ya." He kissed her again. "Two weeks?"

"Two weeks, and then we decide, that was the bet, right."

"Right." She slipped a hand against his bare chest, letting the fine fur tickle her fingertips and palm. "Katherine, I want you."

"I'd say that's mutual." He picked her up and carried her back to the bedroom.

"Victor." She whispered as he lay her back down in the middle of the bed.

"You're mine." He said as he kissed her neck, ripping the shirt off her body.

"So was that shirt." She said with a giggle.

"Fuck the shirt." He growled as he dropped the sweats and climbed onto the bed with her.

"I don't think that's possible." She said, grinning.

"Shut up, Pryde." He said as he slipped between her legs, sliding himself deep to her core.

"Victor." She gasped. He just growled against her neck and started moving, she gasped, but thrust her hips up to meet him. She was still tender from earlier, but there was no way she wasn't enjoying every second with him.

XXXXXXXXXX

She was curled up asleep in the middle of the bed. He'd worn her out, literally – she'd passed out after her last climax. She was grinning in her sleep, and sleeping soundly, so he wasn't complaining. She'd met him halfway on everything, and he grinned.

He was standing at the window in the living room, her scent filling the apartment. It was addictive, her scent. He was wondering if he could let her go when this was done. She didn't know, and he wasn't ever going to tell her, but she wasn't the only one thinking in years – decades, for him centuries. She brought him a peace he honestly couldn't remember ever feeling. He was going to take what he could, enjoy it while he could, and when she wised up, when she realized that she had no place in his world, he'd let her go.

He didn't know the name of this feeling, but it brought him the closest to one frail emotion he despised – fear. He didn't want to lose her, she was like a cooling breeze on a hot summer day, like a warm sunbeam through a cloudy sky, a shaft of moonlight, exposing innocent beauty – an innocence he'd bought, cheapened, destroyed, and hated himself for it.

He clenched a fist. Two weeks of heaven, two weeks with her in his bed, in his life, and then it had to be over. He didn't think he could control the blood lust even that long, and he didn't want her seeing him come home after a kill, covered in blood, licking it off his face and hands. He didn't want her seeing that everything she'd been told was true, he WAS the monster they'd trained her to think he was.

Munich had been a mistake. He should have just killed DeMarco, taken her out of there with no debt, nothing owing but a rescue, a life saved. The money complicated things. He looked over where it was still scattered on the floor. She was taking it with her, when she left. He wasn't going to let her have any tie to him, the debt would be over, and her life would go back to what it was without him.

He walked over and picked it up, gently straightening each bill as he put them back in the case she'd brought it in. Even the four cents…he smiled at that, two million six hundred and eighty seven thousand five hundred and ninety nine dollars and four cents. He didn't understand the blurring of his eyes until the single tear landed on the top of one of the small bits of copper.

He shook his head. Hell would start when she left. He wasn't going to let it in yet, he was taking this time she'd given him, willingly given him, and God help anyone who interfered. He closed the briefcase and set it against the wall. He wanted her to see it, to know it was there.

He carried her bag back to the bedroom and opened the door. She was still curled up in the middle of the bed, but she looked up when he opened the door.

"You coming to bed?"

"I ain't sure you're up to it." He said, setting the bag down by his dresser, she could unpack tomorrow.

"I meant to sleep. You haven't been, and could use it."

"You gonna keep the nightmares away?" He said half teasingly.

"If you'll keep mine away." He smiled and climbed into bed with her, wrapping his body around hers.

"I thought I CAUSED your nightmares?" He said wrapping his hand around her waist, and pulling her against his chest.

"NO! You rescue me in them, DeMarco caused them." She whispered.

"Then go to sleep, Kitty. He won't ever cause you a nightmare again, I promise." He whispered. She curled up against his chest, her head on his pillow, and her hair under his cheek. She closed her eyes, and he followed her. They both slept the clock around.


	10. The L word

Pryde Goeth Before A Fall

Kitty Pryde is rescued by a very unlikely hero, one who won't let her forget the debt she now owes.

I don't own them – I wouldn't mind owning them – but I don't. Thank you Marvel for letting me play in your sandbox, there will be a few minor OC's in this story that are mine –but if you want them you can have them.

Chapter Ten – The L word.

He looked up from his newspaper. She'd been here a week, she was curled up with her laptop on the other end of the couch. It had been in the bottom of the bag, in its case. He had a good wireless router, and she was able to hook in and get online.

"What ARE you doing?" He asked.

"Maggie sent me something that Mike couldn't figure out, I'm looking at the line code trying to figure out why the compile didn't work." She said.

"I thought we said no work?" He growled.

"This isn't WORK – it's for an online game we are writing."

"WHAT?"

"I write games for fun."

"Pryde – I was right, you are insane."

She just chuckled and kept looking at the laptop screen. "What about you – going over the scores you looked up online last night; what is it about men and newspaper sports pages."

"Now that's a low blow. Don't insult my sports page, and I didn't know how long we'd be in BED this morning, so yeah I looked them up last night." He said with a very self satisfied smirk if he said so himself. She was a VERY apt student, he had to say that.

"What, I didn't wear you out enough?" She grinned.

"I was wondering if your JAW would wear out." He grinned.

"Not yet." She smirked back at him, and he suddenly wasn't that interested in the paper.

"Come here, Pryde." He said.

"No." She said, not taking her eyes off the laptop screen.

"Come here."

"No, I want to find where he coded this wrong." She said. He growled and put his paper on the floor. He reached out and grabbed her ankle and yanked. "HEY! This is a valuable piece of equipment."

"Shit, Pryde if I break it, I'll buy you a new one – now COME HERE!"

"No." She lay the laptop down on the hardwood floor, and looked up at him. He'd pulled her flat onto her back on the couch, and he was suddenly getting other ideas. The damned Care Bear was winking at him, but he'd gotten used to it, it made him feel almost decadent fucking her while she was wearing something so damned cute.

"Fine – I'll come there."

"I'm sure you will." She grinned. He really was rubbing off on her, and he was enjoying every second.

"Not before you." He grinned as he kissed her ankle.

"Promise?"

"THAT sounded like a challenge." He smirked. She had a damned competitive side he'd never seen, even in battle.

"I don't know – I wonder which one of us can hold out the longest." She said with a very impish grin. She was definitely NOT an angel this morning. HE grinned and kissed behind her knee, letting his fangs scrape along the tendon, and enjoying her sharp intake of breath. HE hooked her knee over his shoulder and started kissing down the inside of her thigh.

"Now THAT's not FAIR!" She squealed.

"All's fair, Kitten, this is war." He whispered against her leg as he licked the tender skin.

She just moaned as he moved closer to the junction, his lips and tongue teasing her mercilessly. He was going to enjoy this. He glanced down at the laptop, and dropped her leg.

"YOU little…"

"What?"

"That's not game code. That's bank routing information." He said.

"Victor – how the HELL do you know that."

"I've hacked a few banks." He growled. "Is that WORK?"

"No…not exactly."

"You sat there and LIED to me and I didn't even pick it up."

"I didn't lie to you, it's coding for a game."

"Bullshit."

"It's a game for hackers. We are trying to create an un-hackable system, something they will keep trying and trying to crack, we are using bank code for the basis. See look…" He was suddenly absorbed in her explanation, now that he saw it, it made sense.

"Sorry." He whispered.

"You didn't trust me?"

"It just looked like…I'm sorry."

"Victor, I promised not to lie to you."

"I know." He winced; she had every right to walk out at this point. He waited, expecting her to abandon him. She surprised him again.

"You've never had anyone to trust have you?"

"No." It was simple – and the truth. Trust wasn't something he was used to.

She climbed into his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck. HE didn't know what to make of this new move, or the moisture on his shoulder and cheek.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. He tilted her head up, and felt a strange lurch in his chest. She was crying – for him.

"Kitty, don't – I don't want your pity." He snarled harshly.

"Pity – I don't pity you. It's the ones who've betrayed you I pity." She whispered.

That statement crashed in on him. She KNEW why he didn't trust, why he didn't believe people, too many had turned on him, crushed what trust he had so early, he didn't know if he had any left. IF he did, he was going to pull every ounce he could find and give it to her.

"Kitten."

"Shhh." She kissed him, her tongue stroking his, her body moving against his.

"Oh God, Baby." He moaned, her body moving against his causing very interesting reactions.

"Now what was that challenge, see who could hold out the longest?" She grinned.

"No, not now." He wrapped his arms around her and stood up, carrying her to the bedroom.

"Victor."

"I'm making love to you, and you can't stop me." He grinned. She looked at him in shock for a moment, and then just grinned back, he didn't want to think about what had surprised her, he didn't want to look at it that closely, he had a feeling he knew what it was, and it wasn't something he was ready to face.

XXXXXXXXX

She watched him sleep. It was the first time he'd gone to sleep first, and she watched the peaceful look on his face, surprised. He was relaxed, his hand resting on her stomach, even in sleep he had to touch her. He'd done things to her today that he'd never done, screaming his name was all she could do at one point, he'd pushed her that far into ecstasy.

She knew he was going to send her away, when the two weeks were over. She knew he didn't want her to stay, and she even understood why. He hadn't gone out, hadn't done anything to satisfy his blood lust since she'd been here, and she knew he wouldn't as long as she was here. She wanted to find a way to let him know she understood.

He'd shocked her, he'd never said anything even resembling love before, and he was almost paranoid about the word. She'd tried telling him, once she loved the feel of his fur, and he'd almost bitten her head off.

_"God this is so soft." She murmured, brushing her cheek against his naked chest._

_"It's fucking fur - it marks me as a fucking animal." He snarled._

_"It's beautiful, soft, and softer than silk." She said, slipping her hand down his flat stomach. "I lo…" _

_"Don't." He interrupted her, putting his hand over her mouth._

_"What?"_

_"DON'T ever say that word. Its frail shit and I don't want it anywhere near me."_

_"Victor."_

_"NO, NEVER say that word." He growled, she just nodded._

He had – made love to her, it wasn't just sex, it wasn't just sensual pleasure, he'd taken time and care and concern to a new level, drawing her pleasure out to a point it was beyond perfection, he was beyond perfection. She felt his hand flex against her stomach, pulling her close against him in his sleep.

She was afraid of what would happen, when their time was up. She didn't want it to be, she knew he'd be cruel, say things, maybe even do things to try to make her hate him, so she'd leave, and she didn't want that. She didn't want anything to mar this time; this time with him was something she'd treasure the rest of her life, no matter how many times they fought, no matter how horrible he could be she would always know the man inside the monster.

She considered packing her bag and phasing out before he woke, leave it on a good note, but she JUST wasn't ready to give him up. She still had another week, in his bed, in his arms, and maybe in his heart. He would never admit it, never say a word, and she would always wonder, but deep down, she knew she owned a small corner. He claimed it was black as sin, that heart of his, but somehow she knew differently.

She curled against his chest, his arm tightening.

"Go ta sleep Pryde." He whispered sleepily.

"I am." She whispered back, closing her eyes.

XXXXXXXXX

He waited until he was sure she was asleep. She'd been watching him, and he had a pretty good idea what had been running through her mind. How was this going to end?

He'd been thinking about it, how best to send her back to the Geeks, and every way he thought of caused a gut wrenching pain in his gut. He didn't want to hurt her, in any way, but it was the only way she'd go. She had that damned optimistic view of everything, even him. He watched her sleep.

She was dreaming, he could see her eyes move, but she was smiling so it wasn't a bad dream. He kissed the end of her nose, and a small giggle escaped her dreaming mouth.

"I love you, Kitty Pryde." He whispered, just like he had every night since she'd come to him. Only when she was asleep, and only when he knew she couldn't hear him.


	11. Partings

Pryde Goeth Before A Fall

Kitty Pryde is rescued by a very unlikely hero, one who won't let her forget the debt she now owes.

I don't own them – I wouldn't mind owning them – but I don't. Thank you Marvel for letting me play in your sandbox, there will be a few minor OC's in this story that are mine –but if you want them you can have them.

Chapter Eleven – Partings

He knew he had to wake her; it was Sunday morning, two weeks to the day since she'd agreed to stay. She was curled up in her favorite position on his bed, right in the middle, taking up the whole damned thing. She'd only move if he crawled onto the bed with her, to make room for him. They hadn't discussed anything last night; he'd been almost desperate to have every inch of her skin branded on his memory. She was leaving, if he had to try to kill her to get her to leave.

She moaned a little in her sleep as she shifted. He knew she was sore, he hadn't let her get to sleep until almost dawn and even after two weeks in his bed, her body wasn't used to continued use. He hoped the dose of the drug he was addicted to would last, at least until she was safely away from him.

"Pryde." He said roughly.

"What?" She mumbled in her sleep and buried her head deeper in the pillow.

"Get up." He snapped.

"Don't wanna." She mumbled.

"Wake up." She looked over at him. HE knew exactly what she saw. He was standing there, in his hunting leathers, duster across the foot of the bed, looking every inch Sabretooth, not Victor Creed.

"Oh." She said.

"I want you gone when I get back."

"I kinda figured. Bag's packed, I'll get a shower, get dressed and get out." She said simply.

"What?"

"You aren't exactly the commitment and white picket fence type. It's been fun." She said with a little smile. He wanted to wipe that smile off her face.

"It's been FUN?"

"Victor, there's no need to end this on a bad note, no need for things to get ugly. I've learned a lot from you, and I'm grateful; but neither one of us thought this would last the full two weeks, much less past it. Don't do anything to ruin a good memory, okay." She said simply gathering up her clothing for a shower.

"Okay." He said simply, grabbing his duster and walking out the bedroom door. He sat on the couch and listened to the water run in the shower. He thought he smelled tears, but he shook it off as wishful thinking. She wouldn't be crying over leaving him, it'd been fun.

That phrase made him angry. He wanted more than just an 'It's been fun' out of her; something more than 'I'm grateful' for what she'd learned from him. He thought he'd heard a sob, but she was still in the shower, and he just couldn't tell, or rather wouldn't. He didn't want to hear anything else out of her. He heard the shower turn off, the sounds of her moving around and getting dressed.

He was sitting on the couch as she came down the hall.

"Don't forget the money." He said, pointing to the briefcase they'd both ignored the last two weeks. "Debt's paid."

She didn't even argue. He glanced up. She was wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans, her bag slung over one shoulder, hair pulled back again in that damned girlish ponytail. He wanted to growl, rip that damned holder from her hair and kiss her senseless, beg her to stay, to deal with all of his shit, to share his life. Instead he just pointed at the door.

"Later, Pryde."

"Victor."

"GO!"

She just nodded, and picked up the briefcase.

"See you around." She said simply before walking out the door and closing it behind her.

He sat there on the couch, and waited for her to turn around. Her scent slowly faded, just as he knew it would. It was going to linger a while, until he completely scoured the apartment – or moved because it was driving him insane. He had a job to do – he'd agreed to kill a guy in China, he needed to get his tickets ordered and get on a flight, but he just sat there, watching the shadows across the skyline, waiting for her to come back.

After sunset he finally got up off the couch and went back to his bedroom. He could still smell her. He had to change the sheets. He walked over to his closet to pull out a clean set and noticed his good linen shirt was missing, DAMN!

He started looking around the room, maybe it was under the bed, or had been put in a drawer, but he knew, deep down, she had it. He finally shrugged and pulled out the clean sheets. He ripped the comforter back and just dropped to his knees beside the bed. The damned T-shirt, the one with the purple bear winking at him, the one she'd worn last night was laying there, a slip of paper on top. On the outside of the folded paper was his name in her simple writing.

_**I'll miss you too.**_

He gathered the shirt up in his hands and forgot everything in her scent. He didn't even notice the tears, just breathed her in.

XXXXXXXXX

She hoped he'd stop her. The door closed behind her and she just stood there for five minutes. He didn't move. She shrugged and walked to the bank of elevators. He wasn't coming for her, he wanted this to end. She waited until she was on the train back to Westchester before she finally broke down and cried. She cried through two train changes, and the cab ride back to the mansion. She wiped her eyes at the gate, got out of the cab, paid the driver and keyed in her access code.

She slipped in a side door, away from everyone's notice, but she'd not been in her room two minutes when Jubilee and Marie both walked in the door.

"Chica?" Jubes said, very subdued especially for her.

"Kitty?" Marie echoed the sentiment.

"It's over." She said simply as she unpacked. "He went back to 'work' and I left."

"I thought you said…"

"I know what I said. I really don't want to talk about it. Where's Logan, I expected a lecture from him?"

"On a mission, won't be back till Tuesday." Marie said.

"Great, I'll be full of anticipation." Kitty said.

"He's worried about you." Marie said.

"I know, but I 'm fine, or I will be." She said softly, and edge to her voice that hadn't been there before. They both looked at each other and left.

**Kitty, please come to my office when you are finished unpacking.**

She knew she'd have to face Charles. She dropped the last of the clothes in the hamper; she'd wash them later, and picked up the briefcase. At least she could give him his money back.

"Kitty." He said as she entered the office.

"I'm fine, Professor. Here's the money back, he wouldn't take it." She said.

"I'm not worried about that, I'm worried about you." His gentle voice was the last thing she needed and she sat in the chair in front of his desk and cried.

"I love him." She said simply.

"I know."

"Should I have fought, should I have tried harder to make him see it, to accept it?" She asked.

"With Victor it's hard to tell, I think both of you will be in pain for some time." He said softly.

"Not him." She said with a conviction she didn't feel.

"You know him better than any of us, even Logan, now. If that's what you think, I will bow to your judgment." He said.

She just nodded and stood up. "Thank you, for supporting me in this."

"It was inevitable, and better it happened this way than by force." He said simply.

"Yeah."

"If you'd like to hone your skills at chess, I haven't had a good opponent in a while." He smiled at her, and she smiled back. It was something to look forward to.

"Your students have missed you. I expect you in class and on time tomorrow morning." He said with mock sternness. She just nodded and left the office.

She didn't go down for lunch, just curled up on the bed, wrapped in his favorite linen shirt. It smelled like him. She was glad Logan wasn't around; he would have smelled her tears and been in there yelling about what a jerk Creed was.

XXXXXXXX

He woke up to his cell phone ringing. He grabbed it and without thinking answered it.

"Kitty."

"No, 'Tooth, it's Toad. Who the fuck's Kitty?"

"No one. How are ya?"

"Not bad – got back in the States yesterday, lookin for a place ta crash."

"Bad time for me – movin."

"Where?"

"Back into a bag, gettin' back ta work."

"Ahh…have you heard from Mags or Myst lately?"

"Nope."

"Right, I'll look one of them up. Hey – you want ta get a few beers later?"

"No, headin' out on a job. I'll catch up with ya when I get back."

"Right." The phone went dead.

He pulled himself up off the floor, and stuffed the T-shirt in his duster pocket. He needed to get back to work. He packed his work bag and headed for the elevators. He'd call a moving company tomorrow; have everything stored until he got back. He didn't even bother with a cab he just started walking. He needed to clear his head.

He saw her in front of him and reached out to stop her. When she spun around it wasn't Kitty.

"Sorry." He said softly.

He knew where she was – he just didn't want to go beg her to come back. He wasn't going to go soft over some frail. He finally hailed a cab and growled "Airport" to the cabbie. The man didn't even flinch, just pulled into traffic and drove.

He paid him, and climbed out of the cab at the terminal. He needed to get a flight to Hong Kong, by way of Munich. DeMarco wasn't going to ever cause her a nightmare again; he was going to see to that.

XXXXXXXXX

The door burst open the next morning.

"WELL, glad you're alive and in one piece." Logan snarled.

"Morning to you too, sunshine." She grumbled back. "Your're back early."

"DAMN it, Kitty. You have more sense than this."

"What – I gave him his two weeks, I came home. No one got hurt."

"That's not what I smell."

"What?"

"Emotional pain still smells like pain, Kitten." He sat on the edge of the bed. She couldn't help it; she just curled up against his shoulder and cried.

"I figured." He grumbled and patted her awkwardly on the back.

"Kitty – you have a huge problem." He whispered.

"Yea he's about seven foot two and I love him." She muttered.

"Uhh – ok you have TWO huge problems." He said.

"What?"

"Did he leave you a way to contact him?"

"No."

"What about his cell number?"

"I won't call him." She said softly.

"You might want to; he has a right to know."

"Know what?"

"That he's going to be a father."

"A…OH GOD!" How can I be pregnant?" She moaned. "MY MOTHER'S GOING TO KILL ME!

Logan chuckled and held her as she cried, again. "You really need to get those priorities straight. I'd worry about Creed first, then ME, then your mother. It's not far, a few hours at most. He probably didn't smell it before you left. Kitten, call him."

She looked at Logan who tapped his nose, and nodded. She picked up the phone and looked for his number, but it was gone. He must have erased it from the phone. She checked her received calls; every call from him was gone; dialed calls too.

"He erased it."

"We'll find him." He whispered.

"Not if he doesn't want to be found." She whispered back.

"Trust me, Kitty. I'll find his ass, and drag him home." Logan grumbled.

"Home?"

"You love him right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, he's an idiot if he doesn't love you – so home is where you are right?"

"Logan."

"Besides – I get to hunt Sabretooth, my favorite past time – next to tryin ta get Marie pregnant that is."

"LOGAN!" She yelled as he ducked out the door.


	12. Hunts

Pryde Goeth Before A Fall

Kitty Pryde is rescued by a very unlikely hero, one who won't let her forget the debt she now owes.

I don't own them – I wouldn't mind owning them – but I don't. Thank you Marvel for letting me play in your sandbox, there will be a few minor OC's in this story that are mine –but if you want them you can have them.

Chapter Twelve – Hunts

He was curled up on his bed, his eighth bottle in his hand. He'd been fine the first few months, work had kept him busy. DeMarco had led him a merry chase, but in the end, he'd ripped the bastard's heart from his chest. The China job had been easy, political, but easy. The next three kills were clean, without a moral question at all. All of them had been murderers.

It was the last one that caused him to end up here. He groaned her face still in front of his eyes. She'd looked too damned much like Kitty, same liquid brown eyes, same cute smile, even the same hair color and figure. But unlike his ShadowCat, this woman had been evil through and through; a predator like him.

She hunted children, not any children but the youngest, the weakest. She'd kill the infants of the poor in the streets, while setting up the rich while she worked as a nanny. She'd get in good with the families, and then smother the infant in bed, doctor's called it SIDS in most cases, but the last case she'd been caught on video, but the judge had ruled it inadmissible in court, and the jury had acquitted her. She'd gone to ground, and the parents had hired him to put an end to it.

She was a mutant, a metamorph, not as powerful as Mystique; she could change her shape but not her scent. He had that, and tracked her through three countries before he finally ran her to ground. She'd been smart, knew just what he liked. It had been close, that illusion, but not the real thing, not his Katherine, and he'd enjoyed ripping her to pieces. He'd even returned the family's money, done that one pro bono.

The dreams started after that, hunting his Kitty down, tearing her to pieces. He'd started drinking again, like after Munich, but it wasn't helping. He'd not taken a job since. Mags had called a couple times, Toad too, trying to get him to join them, but he just told them to 'fuck off.'

It had been ten months three days and eight hours since Kitty walked out his door. He drained the bottle and grabbed number nine. He was going to have to call the store and have them deliver more. He'd rented another apartment, this time in Boston. Far enough away that he actually had to THINK about going to Westchester but close enough that if he heard about any problems, he could be there quick.

He could call her, check on her, but he didn't dare. Didn't want her thinking he gave a damn. The last thing he needed was her even getting a HINT he loved her. She was safe with the Geeks, they'd keep her safe. Her number was still in his phone. He'd made sure his wasn't he didn't want her tracking him down. He didn't want to know who she was with now, who was making her scream in bed.

He threw the bottle across the room shattering it just as Toad opened the bedroom door.

"You know – that's not the best way ta say hello."

"Fuck you."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were tryin ta kill yourself." Toad said.

"Get out – tell Mags I ain't interested."

"Tooth – I'm actually worried about you." Mortimer said, sitting on the side of the bed. He picked up a ragged piece of cloth, the purple ink barely visible anymore.

"GIVE me that." Victor snatched it from him.

"If I didn't KNOW better, I'd say that was a faded Care Bear on that old shirt."

"Fuck you."

"Mags needs your help, Vic. Only you can do this, and you'll get ta pound on Wolverine."

"Not doin' it."

"Come on – freelance pounding on the Runt, and that don't get your blood boilin.' That must be SOME woman you're tryin ta drink away."

"What would you know?"

"I've done my share."

"Pound on the Runt, huh?" He might be able to ask Logan how she was doing. His mind was clearing, his healing factor pushing the haze back.

"Yeah."

"I'll think about it."

"And take a shower man, you reek." Mort said as he walked out of the apartment.

XXXXXXXX

"You owe me fifty grand for that." Mort said to the man at the table.

"How is he?"

"Horrible. Drinkin non stop, I don't think he's been out of bed in months."

"Good, should be easy ta kick his fuckin' ass." Logan grumbled.

"Why are ya doin' this?"

"'Cuz he hurt a friend of mine, real bad, and I owe him for it." Logan told Mortimer.

"You two and your shit – I'll never understand it." Logan slipped the cash across the table.

She'd made him promise not to hunt him down, but last month he'd broken that promise. He'd been there, heard her screaming, listened to Hank and Jubilee and Moira try to convince her she had to keep going.

_"Kitty, please, I need you to push." Moira said._

_"NO, Victor's not here, I can't do this without him, he doesn't know." Kitty shouted._

_"Katherine, you need to push on the next contraction, the baby won't wait on her father." Hank said. Logan held her hand, coaching her, trying to get her through the labor._

_"Kitty – come on, the kid won't wait for his lazy ass. You won't let me go after him, so you're stuck with me, now PUSH damn it." He shouted at her._

_Hank just shook his head, Moira too. Logan hung his head and agreed. They knocked her out, and cut the baby out. He held her hand through the operation and through the nausea when she woke up. The baby was perfect, looked too much like her father for Logan's taste, but she was a pretty little thing._

_Kitty was thrilled, once she woke up, named the baby Victoria; but still sad they hadn't been able to locate Victor._

He'd left two days after the baby was born; he was going to find that bastard if it was the last thing he did. He'd made his girl cry, every night for nine fucking months, made her fight to the point they'd had to operate to save the baby, and NOW the bastard was sitting on his lazy ass, drinking himself to death instead of owning up to his responsibilities. Logan was looking forward to kicking his ass.

XXXXXXXXX

Victor looked up at the crash of the door, but shrugged his shoulders. Let them take what they wanted, he didn't give a shit. The door to the bedroom crashed open again and a very angry Runt stood there.

"Been lookin for ya." Logan snarled at him.

"Like I give a shit. Throw me another bottle." Logan glared at him and picked up a half full bottle from the dresser.

"Looks like you've had MORE than enough." He snapped.

"I'll tell ya when I've had enough, when they haul my stinkin corpse out of here."

"Toad was right – you are tryin' ta kill yourself. You piece of SHIT!"

"How's Kitty?" It fell out of his mouth. He didn't want to ask, but he had to know.

"What the fuck do you care?"

"Never mind. If you are here ta kill me, get it over with. I'm sick of this shit." He growled at the Runt, trying to sit up in the bed, but failing miserably.

"When was the last time you ATE something."

"I don't know."

"Damn – Creed, you are as weak as a fuckin' kitten." Logan grumbled. He walked out of the room, and Victor could hear him muttering in the kitchen. "MOLD, fuck – damn this expired four months ago, OH God, now I know where Tommy's science experiment went." Victor just looked for a bottle with something still in it, and that was within reach.

"Here, eat those." Logan threw a pack of granola bars at him.

"Where'd ya find those?"

"In my bag, your entire refrigerator needs a hazmat team."

"So are you here to kill me – or not?" Victor snarled at him, not even opening the wrapper.

"Not without you givin' me some kind of challenge. Hell right now, it'd be murder plain and simple, and I don't do MURDER." Logan said. "How long have you been like this?"

"Fuck you."

"Eat the damned granola."

"No, if I'm dyin anyway, might as well die hungry."

"I ain't here ta kill ya, much as I'd like to. Xavier would kill ME if I did, not to mention a certain KittyCat we both know."

"How is she?"

"Do you really fuckin' care?"

"Yes." He didn't care if the Runt saw just how fucking weak – how soft – how fucking frail he was. The tears just dropped, he hadn't been able to stop them for months.

"All this is about her, isn't it?"

"Fuck you."

"Do you love her?"

"Fuck you."

"Answer the damned question, Creed."

"Yeah." He whispered it, but knew the other man heard it.

"Good, that's gonna make this so much easier." Logan said, and then plowed his fist right into Victor's face. Victor growled and sprang out of the bed, before falling flat on his face.

"I thought so. Get your fuckin' ass in a shower and clean up." Logan snarled at him.

"Why?"

"'Cuz I said, and cuz you can't do shit to stop me if I decide to beat the hell out of ya."

"No why bother, don't want your hands to stink when you go home." Victor snarled back, slowly pushing himself to his feet. His healing factor was kicking in, pushing the poisons out of his system, healing the bruises.

"No, I don't want YOU to stink when I haul your ass back to the mansion and make you face what the fuck you've done."

"I don't know what the hell you are talking about."

"You're right, you don't. Get cleaned up, Creed. You're about to find out." Logan pushed him into the bathroom and into the shower stall. He turned on the hot water full blast, and Victor cringed as it scalded his skin.

"I'm gonna rip you a new asshole for this, Runt." He snarled, but the claws stopped him for now. The space was too small, and Logan had the advantage, for now.

"Shampoo, soap, wash rag, conditioner, get on it." Logan snapped, and stood outside the shower, tapping his foot as Victor cleaned up.

"And brush your damned teeth, you smell like a distillery." Logan said as he climbed out of the shower. He glared at the smaller man, but complied.

His hands were shaking and he looked like hell. He'd washed his hair but it still just hung limp along his face, he pulled it back, and was shocked by how gaunt he looked.

"Damn, Creed, you really do look like hell. It's ALMOST worth it, seeing you like this.

"Worth what?" He snarled.

"You'll see." Logan threw him a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and he pulled them on. The jeans were baggy on him, and he had to double check the size. Shit! Maybe he had come close, he certainly wanted to die. He pulled on his boots, and actually grabbed a couple of the snack bars from the bed. He also grabbed the shirt and hid it, hoping Logan hadn't seen it.

"Too late, Creed, I could smell it, her scent's getting fainter, isn't it."

"SHUT UP!" He shouted, or tried. It came out as a gravely whine.

"Damn, I think I'm gonna have ta really feed ya first. Hate wastin money on a piece of crap like you." Logan muttered, and pulled Victor to his feet.

"Then don't - just fuckin' kill me." He pleaded.

"Nope."

"If you are doin this for the Kitten, don't she'll be better off if I'm dead."

"What?"

"I made out a will, left her everything." He said softly.

"Shit, Creed. I'm ALMOST sorry for ya, and I HATE that." Logan said.

"Just kill me, Logan." He said softly. He was sober, for the first time in months, his death standing right there, and it just wouldn't work.

"Creed, you are one sorry sack of shit."

"Damn it, Runt, pop those damned claws and put them here, right through my fuckin' brain, END this."

"Not only no, but HELL NO!" Logan shouted, grabbing him by the front of the shirt and dragging him out of the apartment.

"Fuck this…Logan, JAMES FUCKING LOGAN FUCKING HOWLETT! I am fucking begging you to fucking KILL ME!" He dug in his heels at the elevator.

"That would be too fuckin' easy. You've fucked up; I want you to see JUST how bad, before I fucking kill you." Logan said softly, menacingly, and he knew. Kitten wasn't okay, something was wrong, and it was his fault, he'd hurt her somehow, and they were going to make him face it first. Suddenly he wanted to do just that. The pain might just put him over the edge, give him the rage he needed for a full attack on the Runt, and THEN maybe he could die.

He stopped resisting, just followed Logan down to the bottom floor, and then into the car parked out front. They stopped for dinner, and he ate what Logan ordered, but didn't say a word, just followed the smaller man, no shorter, because Logan was ten times the man he was, and was going to be the one to end his miserable existence.

They pulled up to the gates of the mansion, and suddenly he felt something he rarely felt, fear. He was afraid to face her; afraid of what he'd done to her. She hated him, she had to. He had gone over every moment of those two weeks, of Munich, trying to find out what he'd done, how he'd hurt her. She'd been so cool when she left, not a pause, not a sign of any second thoughts. Even one and he'd have begged her to stay.

That couldn't be it, she'd been the one to say no regrets, don't ruin the memory. She didn't have any, did she? Could that be it? Could she have regretted leaving him? No. No woman in her right mind would want to stay with him.

They pulled up to the front of the mansion. He was still confused, still trying to understand what he could have done to hurt her. Logan walked around the parked car, and opened the door, grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the car and up the front steps.


	13. Deals

Pryde Goeth Before A Fall

Kitty Pryde is rescued by a very unlikely hero, one who won't let her forget the debt she now owes.

I don't own them – I wouldn't mind owning them – but I don't. Thank you Marvel for letting me play in your sandbox, there will be a few minor OC's in this story that are mine –but if you want them you can have them.

Chapter Twelve – Deals

Logan dragged him in front of the Professor, closing the heavy door behind them.

"Here he is – much as I hate the idea." Logan growled.

"Victor, you look horrible."

"Shoulda seen him before I fed him." Logan said.

"Logan, I would like to talk to Victor alone." The shorter man growled but walked out the door closing it behind him. Victor could hear him, growling and snarling at anyone who got near the door.

"What do you want?" Victor said to the old man.

"We need to discuss the situation with Kitty."

"That's none of your business."

"Right now, it is. She – well her recovery hasn't been as rapid as we had hoped, and I am concerned not only for her physical well being but her mental and emotional as well." Victor just glared at him; trying to will him get to the point. Just what was wrong with his Kitten?

"Is she?"

"Is she what?" Victor's voice was harsh.

"Your Kitten?"

"Stay out of my HEAD!" It wasn't a roar by any means, but his voice grew louder.

"I am afraid I have no choice. I need to know EXACTLY where this stands." He growled at the old man, who wheeled himself over to the chair Victor dropped into.

"I don't want you in my head."

"You have two choices, Victor, I can scan your surface thoughts and you TELL me what I want to know, or I go looking." Charles said, and Victor didn't doubt he'd do it. Something was seriously wrong; the egg head wouldn't threaten that, not without good reason. Kitty was in trouble, serious trouble.

"What do you want to know?"

"Do you love her?"

"Why?"

"I need to know – before I give you any information that could hurt her further, I NEED to know you won't."

"Hurt her further?" SHIT! What had he done? He was wracking his brain, trying to remember ANYTHING that could have hurt her for this long.

"Victor, you care for her, but I need to know it goes deeper than that, for her sake."

"Yes, I love her; I need to know she's alright."

"She is still recovering from surgery."

"Surgery – what did I do, oh God, what did I do?" He didn't even care what the old man thought.

"Nothing – beyond normal consequences."

"WHAT? What normal consequences? What the hell is going on?"

"You didn't even consider consequences of your time together."

"I tried keeping things safe, not involving her in my world, and not be seen with her so that no one would associate us. I did everything I could to keep her out of danger."

"Danger?"

"Yeah – I have enemies, and I didn't want anyone knowing about her."

"Victor, I'm talking about a little more – common – consequence." The egg head almost laughed at him.

"Common consequences? Speak English, old man." Victor grumbled. His head was clearing, the food fueling his healing factor to force six months of alcohol poison out of his body.

"Victor did you consider anything other than your momentary…"

"Carnal pleasure?" He sneered.

"That's one way to put it."

"Yeah – I made sure she wouldn't be in any danger from me or anyone coming after me, I did my damnedest to make sure she got some 'carnal pleasure' out of it too, and I made sure I didn't over do it, push her to a point she'd get hurt, although from the sound of things, I didn't do such a good job of that." He muttered.

"Did you even consider protection?" Charles asked seriously.

"Protection from what, I can't get diseases so there wasn't anything to pass on and…OH SHIT!"

Charles nodded. "I believe you are finally considering the consequences."

"A CUB!"

"A child." Charles said.

"She had a…surgery?"

"Ceasarian Section." Charles said.

"Is she alright?"

"She would recover better knowing you were here, but she will recover." Charles said.

"Right – you don't want me near her or the cub." Victor growled.

"Child, Victor, a daughter, Kitty named her Victoria." Charles said.

"Enough. I get it. I'll make sure you can get a hold of me, let me know if they need anything, but I'll stay away. You wanted to make sure I wouldn't take them – I get it."

"No, Victor – Kitty has been afraid if you found out, you'd try to get custody of the baby, since you are so possessive."

"I'm not stupid. If KITTY would be in danger associating with me, imagine how much danger my CUB would be in. I'll stay away, I'll send you money for them, but don't tell her where it's coming from. I have a will, if anything happens to me, Kitty gets everything." Victor told him, rising wearily from the chair.

"Please, Victor I think you have taken all of this the wrong way."

"There's only one way to take it. I have to keep them safe, and I can't do that if they are with me. They are safe here." He said simply. "I don't know how much longer I"ll last at the rate I'm goin, and I ain't plannin on changin things now, They will both be better off after I'm gone." The words were said softly, hoping Logan wouldn't pick them up.

"ASS!" he heard the Runt mutter from the other side of the door, so much for that hope.

"Victor, have you considered staying here, being with them?" Charles asked.

"You are insane. I don't live by your rules; I can't live in your world. I am what I am and nothing can change that. I CAN'T stop killing, you KNOW that Charles. We've had this discussion a hundred times, in one form or another. "

"True, and I have accepted that the hunt – the kill – is a part of you, something you have to have to keep your feral side in check. I am NOT suggesting you join the teams, or even live in the mansion itself. There are outbuildings, houses that were used by staff at earlier points in the mansion's history. Many of them are in use for special classrooms, but there are two further back from the main house that would be ideal."

"No. If you think Logan and I can live that close without trying to kill each other, regularly, you are REALLY insane. I don't want Kitty to have to deal with it." Victor growled.

"You would rather she raise your daughter alone, think you don't know about her, or worse don't care?"

"It would be safer. She'll be a little hurt now, but it will be better than being destroyed by me later."

"Victor, you are not ONLY Sabretooth, Kitty saw that."

"And I can only keep that up for short periods of time, before the blood lust makes me kill, I don't want her living with that, besides – she's the one that walked out, said thanks for the fun." He snarled.

"VICTOR! You can't honestly think she did that because she didn't care." Charles said.

"It doesn't matter. I'm leavin, I'll send you support for the cub, you take care of my Kitten, and when the time comes, she won't have anything to worry about ever again." He said.

"Victor she loves you."

"NO!" He shouted. He couldn't believe that.

"Victor, please, at least talk to her before you leave, see the baby." Charles said.

"You don't get it, if I see her, talk to her – I won't LEAVE!" He snarled. "I NEED her. I love her, and I KNOW I'm not good for her, it's better that I go, leave her without her ever knowing I know." He didn't know how to convince Charles that it was for the best.

"Victor, have you looked in a mirror lately?" Charles asked.

"Yes – and if the Runt had killed me like I begged him to, this discussion would be moot." He snarled.

"You really don't want that."

"YOU DON'T get it. It's not about what I WANT; it's about what's BEST!" He roared.

"Don't you think Kitty should have some say in that decision?"

"NO!"

"Why not?"

"She doesn't know what my world is like. She sees only the good, the right, and I don't want to tarnish that." He said softly.

"Victor, the mutant world isn't safe. Between The Church of Humanity, The Friends of Humanity, Apocalypse, Magneto and his war against humans, the Mutant Registration Act, don't you think it would be better if she had your strength to protect them?"

"And what about MY enemies, the ones that would hurt anyone close to me to hurt me?" He said.

"Many of those enemies are the same ones she's being protected from NOW, you staying here wouldn't make it WORSE, but better, she'd have you to protect her." Charles said

"She doesn't WANT me!" He snarled.

"Don't you think I have something to say about that?" Her soft voice said from the door.

"Kitten?" He spun around. She was in a baggy shirt and pants, hair pulled back. She was pale, and so beautiful.

"I could hear you yelling on the other end of the mansion." She said, and he flinched at the hope in her eyes.

"Baby, it won't work." He whispered.

"No, it won't – you won't let it, just like you wouldn't let it work before." She said.

"WHAT? You walked out."

"Because I KNEW you were going to THROW me out." She snapped back.

"I wasn't – if you had said you wanted to stay, I couldn't have." He wanted to pick her up, crush her against him, but he'd given up that right, the moment he put those damned leathers back on.

"I have something you need to see." She said.

"Charles told me." He whispered.

"Are you going to walk out on her, too?" Kitty asked.

"I'll take care of her, make sure you get support."

"What about a FATHER!"

"I told you about mine – what makes you think I'd be any better." He snarled at her.

"Well, I'm still breathing." She said, and he couldn't argue with her. He'd gone against his instincts, saved her life, fallen in love with her, in spite of everything in his life that made that problematic, and now she was just asking him…for what?

"What do you want, Kitty?"

"You."

"I ain't talkin' about sex." He snarled at her.

"Neither am I. I love you Victor, as insane as that sounds, I want you to be a part of my life, of HER life." Her voice was soft, but he caught the sob.

"Kitten." He couldn't stop; he just sat in the chair, and put his head in his hands. The words were there, hanging in the room and he couldn't deny them anymore. "I love you, and that's why I have to leave."

He didn't look at her, but heard her feet cross the carpeted floor.

"Look at me, Creed." She snapped her voice hard, harder than he'd ever heard it.

He glanced up, right in time for her doubled up fist to hit him square on the jaw. He just looked stupidly at her, he couldn't think – she HIT him, and it fucking HURT.

"You are the world's biggest idiot." She said.

"What?"

"If you walk out on me – on US, don't bother sending anything – I'll send it back. I don't need your damned money – I NEED YOU!" She shouted the last.

"Kitten." He didn't dodge in time, she leaned in and kissed him, demandingly, and his body took over, responding in kind, conquering her mouth, fingers tangled in her hair, ripping it down from the ponytail. He couldn't have stopped, and frankly it was like air to a suffocating man, her lips breathed life into him.

"So – are you staying?" She whispered.

He didn't say a word, just pulled her into his lap and against his chest. He breathed in her scent, stroked her hair, and just let the tears fall.

She looked up at him.

"Well?"

"I don't have any other plans." He whispered.

"I'll take that for a yes." She said.

"I hope to hell your bedroom is sound proof." He grinned.

"Well, no, but the cottage is back away from the school, probably only Logan will be able to hear you."

"ME! Woman YOU are the one the neighbors were complaining about." He grinned.

"RIGHT! I'm not THAT noisy."

"Baby – you can SCREAM!" He whispered against her hair, nipping behind her ear.

"Not for a while – so just get that thought out of your head." She muttered. "Now, would you like to meet your daughter?"

"God – my last offspring turned out so badly, I'm afraid." He whispered.

"Yeah – but you didn't RAISE him." She said, smiling. He just nodded. He didn't know if it would last, if he could stand it for long, but he was going to give it a try. She deserved at least that much.


	14. Cold Light of Dawn

Pryde Goeth Before A Fall

Kitty Pryde is rescued by a very unlikely hero, one who won't let her forget the debt she now owes.

I don't own them – I wouldn't mind owning them – but I don't. Thank you Marvel for letting me play in your sandbox, there will be a few minor OC's in this story that are mine –but if you want them you can have them.

Chapter Fourteen – The Cold Light of Dawn.

He stood at the foot of the bed. She still took up the whole damned thing, he grinned watching her stretch.

"You're up early."

"Took a job." He said simply. He knew she was taking it all in, the leathers, the bag on the end of the bed, his hair loose and wild. He was going hunting – his human prey. It wasn't the first time; it wasn't going to be the last. He tried hard to hide the smile.

"Gonna be gone long? The party is tomorrow."

"Yeah –I'll be gone – a while." He said. She deserved to know the truth. He was stifled, suffocated here. Xavier and the students looked down their noses at him, the only one that didn't was Logan, and that bugged the shit out of him. It had been almost two years. He'd been able to handle it almost two years.

"Victor."

"Don't. I can't play by the rules anymore."

"Then don't."

"Kitty, I can't live my life with you and the cub."

"Yes you can, just not here." She said.

"What?"

"Victoria and I are packed, Victor. I've been waiting for you to bolt for months."

"No, you don't get it. Here you two are safe, I know you are safe. I don't have to worry about you. Out there, with just me, I'd be a nutcase."

"What with just you? What am I, chopped liver?" She sat up and let the covers drop to her waist. She was wearing what she usually wore to bed when he was home – not a damned thing, and he was definitely distracted by the view. "You and Logan have both been working with me, training me to be offensive as well as defensive with my powers; I can take care of me and Vicky."

"I still worry." He hated admitting it, and if it were anyone else but his Kitten he wouldn't.

"So do I, every damned time you leave me." She said.

"Kitten, it isn't like your mother won't be thrilled that I'm gone."

"Yeah – RIGHT. Her exact words were 'If you have to live with a gentile, at least he's rich.'" Victor chuckled. Her mother was something else. "Besides, she's got dad and a Mohel waiting for you to convert."

"Over my dead body, the only thing sharp that goes down there is your teeth." He grinned, and then forced himself to stop. This wasn't going like he planned, he needed to stick to the plan. "I gotta go."

"No you don't – your job doesn't start for three more days."

"Kitten."

"That's what you get for living with an electronics geek, I checked your email."

"Damn it – stay out of my business."

"No."

"KITTY!"

"I love you." Shit she was pulling out the big guns, the ones he couldn't stop, even after two years.

"Baby, please. It's best for you and the baby."

"No YOU are what is best for me and the baby." She said, and at that moment the OTHER big gun came toddling into the room.

"Dadda." She rubbed her eyes sleepily and held her arms up for him to pick her up. He wanted to scream, nothing was going like he'd planned. He felt like he was dying here, not with them – but at the school, hell he'd gone out drinking with LOGAN last night, just to get away, and DIDN'T try to kill him. That had decided him, when he started looking at the damned RUNT as a drinking buddy it was time to get the hell out of dodge.

"Kitten."

"Victor, Vicky and I don't have to STAY here. You have houses all over the world. You've been promising to take us to Seattle for over a year, and we still haven't gone. This job is on the west coast, Vicky and I would be FINE in Seattle while you took care of things, and then we could get away for a while."

"It's not safe."

"Life isn't safe, human or mutant, so what's the difference."

"Baby." He said looking at her. She'd pulled the sheet back up when Victoria walked into the room. He had the baby on his shoulder and she was playing in his hair.

"You have two choices, Victor Creed, take us WITH you or look over your shoulder every minute because we'll follow you." He turned his face to hide his grin in the baby's shirt,

"Seattle, huh? You sure you could take not being here – with your friends."

"Let me see, Jubilee is in California working on her PhD in bio genetic research, Marie and Logan just got BACK from one of their 'I can't stand this place another minute' runs, and Bobby and Angelica are getting married, I give THAT six months. Warren's running his dad's business in New York, and Pete's gone back to Russia to help his family, WHAT FRIENDS! They've all taken off, and I'm stuck here with your lazy ass."

"Are you tryin ta tell me you want to get out of here. I thought this was home."

"Home is where YOU are." She said simply.

"GOD! Where are your bags?"

"In my closet."

"I can just see this now, I'm stalking a mark and you call me to pick up milk - or worse diapers."

"I do that anyway."

"How the FUCK am I supposed to do my JOB with a frail and a cub hanging on my coat tails." He was so glad he was holding the baby, she was falling right into his trap.

"I don't know, you've been doing it for two years, you tell me."

"Xavier's rules go the fuck out the window; you play by MY rules out there."

"I expect to, besides you aren't the ONLY one feeling a little closed in by all the 'play nice' rules around here. I like to let my hair down once in a while. I swear he's getting senile in his old age, and a senile telepath isn't something I want to spend my life around. I am going to be thirty in two years, I'd LIKE to live MY life, not the one Xavier wants."

He didn't say a word, just opened her closet door, put Victoria on the bed and reached in and found the two backpacks on the floor.

"Been packed for months? I think we need to repack for the weed there." He growled, opening Victoria's bag. "Kitten, if I end up having to bury you, I'll kill ya myself."

She just gave him that look, the cute one, and he grumbled and went through the baby's bag. She must have repacked it not long ago, and he nodded at what he found, blankets, clothes, a few small toys, nothing noisy, nothing bulky if they had to consolidate her bag into theirs. He'd taught his Kitty well.

"I don't see any Care Bears."

"Those are in my bag." She grinned at him as she pulled one of the T-shirts over her head.

"I swear I am the only man on the face of the damned planet that finds the damned CARE BEARS sexy." He grumbled.

"It could be worse." She grinned as Victoria climbed up onto the bed with her for a good tickle. "It could be Teletubbies."

"Bite your tongue woman." He snarled. "I'll put up with the damned bears, but none of those damned whatever the fuck they are."

Kitty just laughed with their daughter.

"We just have one other issue." He loved it when a good plan came together.

"What's that?"

"You ain't travelin with me as Kitty Pryde." He said simply, as he opened his bag on the bed. He had been planning this for months, since he'd decided he was leaving.

"And just how the HELL am I traveling then?"

"As Kitty Creed." He threw the box on the bed.

"VICTOR!"

"Cub's already a Creed, figured her mom needed to be too."

SHIT! She was crying. "Kitty."

"I love you, you big idiot."

"Is that a yes?"

"It's an I'll think about it." She said, not even opening the box.

"KITTY"

She stood up and walked to the end of the bed, and slipped her arms around his neck. "Of course I'll marry you, you big DOPE! Now maybe my mother will get off my case. 'When are you going to marry that boy? He needs a wife to take care of him? You don't feed him right, he's getting thin.'"

"Oh God, I am getting a Jewish mother-in-law." He grumbled, but it was spoiled by the smile.

"Welcome to my world." Kitty said. "I'd rather live in yours sometimes, it's safer."

He grinned and crushed her against his chest. The tiny hands on his distracted him long enough to grab the squirt and pull her up with them. He'd never wanted a family, never imagined himself with one, and now, looking down the long years of his life, wouldn't live without them for any amount of money. He knew someday she'd be gone, but he had years until he faced that day, and there would always be a reminder of her, in his children and grandchildren.


End file.
